The woman who kept the LaRusso household in Cobra Kai from imploding for six seasons has decided to tap out of the entertainment industry altogether.

Courtney Henggeler revealed through a strikingly candid Substack post last Friday that she’s hanging up her acting shoes after grinding it out for over 20 years in an industry famous for chewing up hopefuls and spitting them out. “I no longer wanted to be a cog in the wheel of the machine,” she wrote with the kind of straightforward clarity her character Amanda would appreciate. “I want to be the machine.” Talk about dropping the mic on your way out the door. The announcement comes at what many would consider the peak of her career. 

As Amanda LaRusso in Netflix’s wildly popular Cobra Kai series, Henggeler finally achieved what countless actors spend lifetimes chasing – steady work on a hit show with cultural relevance and a ionate fanbase. For the uninitiated, Amanda is the pragmatic counterbalance to husband Daniel LaRusso’s karate obsession – the practical business partner who rolls her eyes at decades-old rivalries while somehow keeping the family car dealership afloat despite her husband’s frequent martial arts detours.

Her character evolved from what could have been a one-dimensional “nagging wife” trope into something far more nuanced. But according to Henggeler’s reflections, the stability of Cobra Kai came after years of what she describes as “the hustle” and “the grind” – that uniquely soul-crushing cycle of auditions, rejections, brief jobs, more auditions, and more rejections that defines most acting careers. “For years, I silenced the voice in my head, begging me to walk away,” she itted.

Hollywood, for all its glitz and glamour, is an industry built on relentless hustle. For every actor who “makes it,” there are countless others who spend years auditioning, waiting for callbacks, and dealing with rejection after rejection. Even when success comes, it often brings its own set of pressures—maintaining relevance, meeting expectations, and constantly proving oneself.

Whatever she does next, Henggeler leaves behind a character who became far more than the wife role it could have been. For fans, it’s a bittersweet announcement. We’re losing not just Amanda LaRusso but any future characters Henggeler might have brought to life. Yet there’s something undeniably inspiring about someone choosing their own path even when it defies conventional wisdom. In an industry where “never give up” is the sacred mantra, Henggeler is asking the more interesting question: what if sometimes the bravest thing is knowing when to walk away? As Amanda LaRusso might say with a raised eyebrow and perfect timing – sometimes the most grown-up decision is recognizing when it’s time to try something new.

While 2025 has already delivered us predictable TV highlights with the return of shows like Severance and The White Lotus, it was the Netflix original series Adolescence that became the year’s surprise sleeper hit. The show, which follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller (played by Owen Cooper) after he is arrested for murdering a schoolmate, premiered on the streamer last month, and has since dominated the cultural conversation to become the year’s most talked-about water cooler show. 

Adolescence was so popular, in fact, that it shot straight to the top of Netflix’s global most-watched lists, to the point where it became the third-most watch program in the platform’s history, beating out uber-popular titles like Dahmer. While the four-episode season delivered a conclusive ending, the surrounding fanfare has naturally led audiences to speculate about a possible second season of the show, and we’ve recently been given a few updates in regards to that very same question. 

Production team “in talks” for Adolescence season two. 

‘ADOLESCENCE’ Season 2 is now being talked about for Netflix.

(Source: Deadline) pic.twitter.com/9Tuic2HOlG

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 9, 2025

Despite the watertight ending of the show’s first season, the runaway success of Adolescence has propelled the creative team to consider a sophomore installment. Just this week, the production team behind season one, Brad Pitt’s Plan B, said they are in discussions about additional episodes with Philip Barantini, who directed all four episodes of the famously one-shot first installment. It was Plan B co-presidents Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner who provided the season two update, telling Deadline that conversations were taking place about “the next iteration” of the show.

Details around Adolescence season two remain scarce.

At this stage, any details beyond Gardner’s recent update remain scarce. He did say that he hoped Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, who co-created the series, would somehow be involved in a second season. Gardner also revealed that a new season of Adolescence would work to “widen the aperture” of the show, while “stay[ing] true to its DNA, and not be[ing] repetitive.” With that context, and given the conclusive resolution of season one, some have theorized that a second season would not focus on Jamie. 

Gardner’s mention of the “new iteration” has been taken by some as a promise of Adolescence‘s second season focussing on an entirely new teenage character with some kind of inherent crime or trauma. This theory is ed by comments made by those involved in the show. Last month, Thorne confirmed that “Jamie’s story is finished,” adding that “our aim was to try and tell Jamie’s story as fully as we possibly could.” 

ppl asking for season 2 of adolescence man i think the whole point is that there’s not meant to be more to the story. that’s just it like

— gabby ❥ (@g4brielleeee) March 21, 2025

Thorne also said he “[doesn’t] think there’s anywhere more we can take Jamie,” suggesting that a second season of Adolescence would follow a different character. The freshness of the update means there’s no word yet on when a second season of Adolescence will arrive, so my advice to you would be to watch this space.

Netflix’s limited series Adolescence is a true smash hit. Despite being out for just three weeks, it’s already jumped to number nine on Netflix’s list of the most-watched English language TV shows ever. It knocked Bridgerton season two out of that spot and has pushed Stranger Things season three down to tenth place. The show’s fast rise proves how popular it is, with 96.7 million views since it first came out.

It doesn’t look like Adolescence is losing steam—it may soon other shows higher on the list and could climb even more in its first 72 days. As reported by Deadline, this show has made a big impact worldwide, appearing in the weekly Top 10 in all 93 countries where Netflix keeps track of what people are watching. The four-episode series follows Jamie, a 13-year-old boy who is accused of killing another student.

Adolescence isn’t just about viewing figures — it’s also about starting important conversations, as reported by NPR. The show makes people think about how safe young people are online and whether social media companies should do more to stop harmful content. By showing the real consequences of online radicalization, the series forces viewers to face uncomfortable truths and think about how these issues affect young people’s lives.

‘Adolescence’ is taking over Netflix

Adolescence’s success stands out compared to other recent Netflix releases, which haven’t done half as well. The Residence, a mystery show from Shonda Rhimes, only got 8.8 million views in its first full week, making people wonder if it will last on Netflix. Million Dollar Secret, a reality show, had just 3.7 million views—far fewer than Adolescence. Even The Life List, a successful movie with 24.4 million views, doesn’t come close to the series’ huge numbers.

With such a strong start and no signs of slowing down, Adolescence looks like it will keep doing well on Netflix. Its fresh way of telling a story, along with its relevant and timely themes, has connected with audiences everywhere. The show’s success proves that Netflix can produce gripping, thought-provoking content that entertains and gets people talking about big societal issues.

According to Wired, co-creator Jack Thorne did a lot of research to make the story feel real and powerful. He spent time in the darker corners of the internet, learning about incel beliefs and the manosphere to understand how young people could be led to violence. This research was sometimes disturbing but helped make Jamie’s character and motivations feel frighteningly real.

Each part focuses on different people in Jamie’s life, showing how different things led to the terrible event. The show tackles tough and complicated topics head-on. It looks at how young people can be pulled into extreme online groups, the dangers of toxic masculinity and the “manosphere,” and how bullying in a messy school setting can have terrible effects. The series doesn’t give simple answers—instead, it shows a detailed picture of a lost teenager, shaped by the wild world of social media, internet culture, and even parents who don’t fully understand what’s happening.

Sorry, Morbius ⏤ your chances of ascending to the top of the streaming charts were always slim, but now they’re just downright impossible. That’s because a certain Netflix queen by the name of Millie Bobby Brown is back at the top of the charts ⏤ or is she?

Brown’s latest project, a neat little flick called The Electric State, is currently sitting comfortably at the top of the Netflix charts, per FlixPatrol. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo of Avengers: Endgame fame, the sci-fi adventure follows a teenager and her robot as they traverse a war-torn humans-vs.-drones landscape in search of the girl’s missing brother. It’s a true Marvel reunion for the Russos, who reunited with Marvel mainstay Chris Pratt as well as Loki’s Ke Huy Quan, Captain America’s Stanley Tucci, and both Anthony Mackie and Giancarlo Esposito from 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World. And yet, despite all this star power, The Electric State boasts a painful 15% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing. The Atlantic literally called it “instantly forgettable.” Ouch, Mills.

Now look, being #1 on Netflix is nothing to be ashamed of ⏤ if it were indeed true. No offense to FlixPatrol, but per this author’s own Netflix , The Electric State is no longer in the #1 spot, at least not in the United States. In fact, it’s been dethroned by a film that WGTC’s own Christian Bone described as being “offensively fangless” and guilty of treating its audience like “dumb animals.” (Double ouch, Mills.)

Which movies have already dethroned Millie Bobby Brown’s The Electric State?

You read that correctly. The Electric State has already slid out of Netflix’s first-place slot thanks to not one, but two other films ⏤ and one of them is particularly embarrassing. The movie currently in the #2 spot ahead of Electric? Sony’s swelteringly horrific Kraven the Hunter, starring Marvel alum Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a buff beast-man determined to live his life as violently as possible.

Curiously, Kraven boasts the same RT critics score as Electric ⏤ a grim 15% ⏤ but even more shocking is the fact that it has received an even higher audience score: 73% to Electric’s 72. The film currently beating both on the Netflix charts is The Twister: Caught in the Storm. This means that yes, a documentary about tornadoes is creaming Queen Millie’s outing with warring robots and Chris Pratt’s ‘stache. At least we can all breathe a sigh of relief that Morbius is nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, a Bridgerton star ascends to true streaming royalty

While Millie Bobby Brown comes to with what must be an immense shock following her astronomical Stranger Things success, a Bridgerton star is likely squealing with glee over on Prime. Per Flix, Simone Ashley’s Picture This has quickly risen to the #1 spot following its March 6 release. One look at the trailer will tell you why. Not only does this film star Young Voldemort, but it’s the laugh-out-loud film we all need in a year that so far has been as humorous as New York’s rat infestation. (We’re still waiting on that musical, Gaga.)

Picture This has only been out for two weeks, and yet it’s already saying “buh-bye” to arguably the cinematic event of our lifetime: Barbie. Yep, Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster smash is currently sitting in Prime Video’s #4 spot above such competition as The Super Mario Bros. Movie and that one where Chris Evans engages in fisticuffs with snowmen. Before outranking Netflix queens and Captain America, Ashley appeared in Bridgerton season 2 as Anthony Bridgerton’s love interest, Kate Sharma. Since then, she has appeared in Disney’s The Little Mermaid and an animated movie about cats called 10 Lives ⏤ “because nine just ain’t enough!” (Oi…)

Picture This is currently available to stream on Prime Video, and if you’re in the mood to watch Millie be spectacular even if her film isn’t, you can catch The Electric State only on Netflix. Or, if you really feel like feeling your feels, you can watch this year’s Baby Reindeer, currently in Netflix’s #1 spot for TV shows and unlikely to budge anytime soon.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married in an expensive, lavish ceremony — a literal Royal wedding with the backing of centuries of tradition broadcast over the world and watched by a truly staggering 1.9 billion people. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t know anything at all about the pair.

Yet ever since their tumultuous split with the Royal Family, rumors have circulated that the Sussexes are headed for divorce. There are suggestions that the relationship isn’t doing so well out in the real world; some think Meghan married Harry for a particular lifestyle which hasn’t materialized; others say the match was never a good one to begin with. Whatever the “reason,” there are some people who simply can’t consider that the Sussexes are happy together and want to remain married.

Unfortunately for the Sussexes themselves, it looks as if their dreams of a life of luxury are getting more difficult by the day. Their $100 million deal with Netflix has ended up as a bit of a flop, since With Love, Meghan — Meghan’s flagship “lifestyle” show — has met with a poor critical reception and mixed views from viewers. As reported in a Mail Online exclusive, journalist and screenwriter Marina Hyde has suggested that Netflix is unlikely to renew the deal, but may want to hang around just in case there’s a divorce on the horizon.

“They are not going to renew. They might say we’re continuing to develop projects with them. The reality is that a lot of people are hanging around in case there’s a divorce. That might be why Netflix, or whoever it might be, who’s got to deal with them, might keep a vague hand in.”

Ironically, despite the Sussexes not wanting a divorce, it may prove the surest and easiest way to the financial independence they crave. With Netflix and other streaming giants swarming and lurking at the edges to secure the no doubt lucrative rights to what would be a highly publicized divorce story, the Sussexes could essentially name their price. A tidy sum of money that could see them ride off into the sunset… at the cost of their marriage.

This is of course unlikely to happen. If their marriage is a good one, they’re unlikely to want to give it all up for a cash injection. On their podcast, The Rest is Entertainment, Marina Hyde and her co-host, author, television personality, and producer Richard Osman discuss alternative sources of funding for the duke and duchess that might be a little more realistic. Osman suggested that Meghan return to work as an actress.

“Meghan is an actress. Cast her in something. This is what I advise Meghan, take a job in something. You could pretty much name your price and project for the first thing you go back into acting for. It’s what she does.”

While a return to acting does seem like it could generate cash, Meghan has previously stated that she doesn’t want to return to the acting world, though With Love, Meghan would represent a tentative return to the world of television, albeit in a different capacity.

As for their marital and financial woes, so far there have been zero official leads on the couple facing either. And given the nature of tabloids and such “experts” who change their opinion faster than the speed of lightning, predicting the expiry date of their relationship would be foolish.

Meghan Markle has been called many things and criticized by many people, and she’s probably still never heard words quite as hurtful as those said by PR expert Doug Eldridge in a conversation with Fox News Digital. The so-called “Duchess of Difficult” is a magnet for anti-fans, and even most of them have steered clear of this ultimate put-down.

Nobody in their right mind would ever want to be described as being like Donald Trump, but unfortunately for Meghan, that’s exactly what’s happened. In an expansive Fox News Digital interview, Eldridge discusses the PR implications of Meghan’s lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan, and why it might not be landing with viewers quite the way she intended.

With Love, Meghan has proven to be a polarizing show. While it does have its fans, it certainly has its detractors, too. Meghan has been described as “inauthentic” multiple times — including by her own father, Thomas Markle — and doesn’t manage to shake that allegation from Doug Eldridge either.

Authenticity is like humidity — you can’t see it, but you can walk in a room and feel it. It’s also critical for what Markle is trying to accomplish. Authenticity fosters relatability, which in turn creates likability, all of which are needed for marketability.

Eldridge suggests that Markle’s lack of authenticity means she’s failing connect with her audience, which isn’t helped by her on-camera approach either — Meghan “appears guarded most of the time,” he says, which can be “challenging for a viewer to bond with.” All of this means, in Eldridge’s view, that With Love, Meghan is unlikely to be a smash hit, as it’s going to fail to connect with new audiences. This assessment matches that of another PR expert, Renae Smith, who suggests that appealing to a core audience is likely Meghan’s goal, anyway.

Still, this does make it tricky for the duchess because she’s launching a lifestyle brand off the back of the show, American Riviera Orchards. Eldridge notes that “this has become an increasingly crowded space” where “likability and charisma” are more important than other things which Meghan may be more comfortable with. These are the things that Meghan struggles with outside of her core fanbase, as there are legions of people who consider the duchess to be inauthentic, fake, unlikable and so on to a point where the only engagement they want with her is via trolling.

Eldridge likens the situation to that of Trump and his opponent, Kamala Harris, during the last presidential election.

At this point, Markle is similar to both candidates who ran in the last presidential election. They were loved by their core demos and despised by those outside of it, which means it really came down to a numbers game.

While it’s certainly not nice to be compared to Trump, it feels like this assessment has legs. Meghan does have fans, and they are incredibly interested in what she does, whether it’s her show, her brand, or the odd appearance at an event. The trouble for her is, are her fans enough to sustain her career? It doesn’t look like Netflix thinks so, but there’s always a chance that season 2 knocks it out of the park and that American Riviera Orchards does extremely well.

Netflix’s new crime drama Adolescence is the best thing the streamer has released since Baby Reindeer. The four-episode limited series is sitting pretty at a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has instantly become a red-hot awards season contender due to its dazzling performances and technical brilliance.

The show focuses on 13-year-old British teenager Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who is arrested for murder at the beginning of the first episode. Throughout the show we see the brutal impact of the situation on his family (led by his father, star Stephen Graham), a painstaking recreation of the legal process, and a subtle but damning exploration of how the manosphere warps young minds.

Adolescence is technically dazzling

Adolescence is a thematically dense and dramatically meaty experience, but that’s uplifted by the fact that each episode appears to be a single unbroken shot. For example, episode one begins with two detectives talking in their car, follows them as they drive to Jamie’s house, continues the shot as armed cops break down his door and drag him from his bed, right the way through to him being placed in a holding cell back at the police station and beyond.

In other episodes, the camera does things that appear impossible, like transitioning between close-up interior dialogue scenes to overhead drone shots and back to close-up drama without cutting away. One-shot scenes (or “oners”) are increasingly popular in TV and movies, and are generally achieved through hidden cuts that allow editors to transition between separately shot sequences while preserving the appearance of a single unbroken shot.

It would make a ridiculous amount of sense for Adolescence to fake the one-shot style. The show relies on pitch-perfect emotional performances (including one from a young teenager in his debut role), scenes with hundreds of extras, the occasional fast-paced action moment, and multiple changes of location.

So, is it fake?

Incredibly, it seems that each episode of Adolescence really is one unbroken hour-long take. Director Philip Barantini decided the show would benefit from being one-shot episodes, which he understatedly said in an interview with The Independent was “quite difficult,” before pointing out that it had to be “meticulously planned.” No kidding.

Preparation involved weeks of technical and cast rehearsals, with Barantini explaining:

“[Tech rehearsals] would be an opportunity for the sound team to put the booms where they needed to be. And, we had all the and the runners and ADs all dressed in police uniforms in the first episode and teachers in the second episode so they could be on camera and cueing things. It was technically challenging, but a huge collaboration.”

This means one forgotten line or technical error would force them to start the entire shoot from scratch, putting a crazy amount of pressure on the cast and crew. Miraculously, Barantini says there were no “major mistakes” during production, though they did have to start again a few times:

“One time the camera was knocked on the door, so the lens shook a little bit and we wouldn’t be able to fix that. And the other time the lights just went off in the studio in the police station. So it was like, we can’t shoot this now, we have to stop.”

The cast also appear to have handled the pressure smoothly, as Barantini explains:

“The actors are in it. There’s no room for error and everyone has the ball and you’re ing the ball to each other and it’s trust. All the actors are trusting each other and if they mess up a line, someone else will come in.”

It’s illuminating that Adolescence has landed on Netflix at the same time as the Russo Brothers’ The Electric State. The latter has a reported budget of $320 million, but has landed with a wet squelch to complaints of “lousy” performances and dull visuals.

The budget for Adolescence hasn’t been released, though could well have cost less than 1% of what Netflix forked out for The Electric State while being inarguably superior to it on every metric. Just a little something for the bean counters over at the streaming giant to consider.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s $100 million deal with Netflix didn’t exactly live up to the expectations of either party. While the Sussexes’ shows were either torn to shreds by critics or outright ignored, the streaming giant never quite saw the positive viewing figures it was likely hoping for, with each new series from the ex-royal couple being disappointment after disappointment.

But in the days that followed the release of Meghan’s latest Netflix offering, With Love, Meghan, there was renewed hope among fans of the Sussexes that the deal could be renewed. The show saw some impressive viewing figures and a second season has already been filmed. It is expected to drop on the streaming platform later this year. So does that mean a renewal of the deal is still on the table?

A new deal is unlikely

Unfortunately for Meghan and Harry, nothing has been promised. According to an article from The Sun, the second season was part of the initial $100 million contract and does not indicate that there will be another deal between the Sussexes and Netflix. 

Meghan’s new show saw her cooking and hosting for a variety of guests and friends. It was heavily criticized by viewers and critics alike, but the source claims Netflix isn’t bothered by the bad reviews, as the focus is more on the buzz the show has been generating.

“Netflix have been broadly pleased with the show and don’t care if the reviews are scathing… The streamer’s name has been on everyone’s lips for the past week and that’s a victory for them.”

Harry and Meghan have not had a good run

Despite the reception With Love, Meghan has received, the couple has mostly released duds in the five years since they signed the contract. Only their first project, Harry & Meghan, saw a good level of success. The other three projects, Live to Lead (2022), Heart of Invictus (2023), and Polo (2024), all performed poorly and received bad reviews. 

Considering how much Netflix paid for these shows, it’s no wonder the company is hesitant about g another deal. Reports indicate that the streaming giant is “milking” the deal with this second season to try and claw back some profits, but either way, this doesn’t bode well for a renewal of the deal.

“But it’s now a question of whether they feel that striking another deal represents value for money, or if they feel that they have explored all the opportunities they can with the couple.”

It would have taken a miracle to salvage the deal, and while With Love, Meghan did pretty well, all things considered, it’s hard to imagine it’s done enough to sway Netflix. We’re at the end of the road and it’s apparent that it hasn’t worked out for either side. Of course, we don’t know what the executives at Netflix are thinking, but it would be surprising if the Sussexes were offered another $100 million deal.

Black Mirror has had an uncanny ability to predict the future in all kinds of sociological, political, and technological ways over the past 14 years, but now for the first time it seems that someone else has predicted it. The first-look trailer for the Netflix anthology show’s seventh season is finally here, and all we can think of while watching is that its emergence was foreshadowed this very week by… Donald Trump.

After a couple of seasons that have earned mixed receptions for going off in strange directions (see season 6’s horror-themed “Red Mirror” episodes), Black Mirror looks to be taking a “greatest hits” approach with this new run, which will hopefully get fans back on board. In this gripping, thrilling, strangely nostalgic trailer, Netflix showcases the incredible cast on display in these six latest installments… And there are some familiar faces among them.

The biggest draw of season 7 is the pre-announced sequel to one of the show’s most fan-favorite episodes, the Star Trek-spoofing “U.S.S. Callister,” which this trailer promises us means we’re getting two times the Cristin Milioti (The Penguin fans, rejoice!). Billy Magnussen from that same ep also features, as does — in a left-field surprise — Will Poulter’s Colin Ritman from interactive special, “Bandersnatch.” Other major guest stars include Paul Giamatti, Emma Corrin, Awkwafina, Rashida Jones, Issa Rae, and a multitude more.

“It’s back to basics, in many ways,” creator Charlie Brooker told TUDUM, going on to promise that these half-dozen new episodes are “all sci-fi stories.” On the other hand, Brooker teased that each standalone story will have its own tone, much as we’ve come to expect from this series. “Some of them are deeply unpleasant, some are quite funny, and some are emotional,” he hinted.

Black Mirror‘s always been like a box of (very, very dark) chocolates, but if you had to, how would you sum up the whole show in just two words? Bizarrely, it seems Donald Trump managed it the day before this trailer dropped. In the wake of the new promo’s arrival, there’s one phrase that’s being repeated across social media like a religious chant: “Everything’s computer.”

Everything’s computer!

— Lily Kimei (@LilyKimei4) March 13, 2025

everything is computer https://t.co/DgHj6Oe71M

— Allison Hunt (@allliehunt) March 13, 2025

Everything is computer. https://t.co/nbxfQAnhXf

— Shawty (@BellDDoll) March 13, 2025

In case you missed the internet’s favorite thing this week, Donald Trump got very excited when he tried out a Tesla car on the lawn of the White House on Wednesday, and came out with a phrase that is somehow both completely inane and deeply insightful. “Wow,” he gushed upon climbing into the car, before mumbling something unintelligible and then uttering the immortal words: “… Everything’s computer!”

Trump: Wow… Everything’s computer
pic.twitter.com/LjGoZD4Qk8

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 11, 2025

The simple phrase, which somehow gets to the heart of our gnawing fears surrounding our screen-obsessed culture, became an instant meme as netizens repurposed the words in different contexts (my personal favorite? The Matrix). Still, applying it to Black Mirror has to be the perfect use for it. For in the world of Black Mirror, a close but twisted reflection of our own reality, in which mankind’s undying thirst for technological advancement has led to the destruction of its own happiness and brought society to the point of dystopia, everything truly is computer.

Everything’s computer, and Black Mirror will be available on every computer come its release on Netflix this April 10.

In the wild west of show business, there are those whose artistic integrity serves as a sort of glue for the entertainment industry’s precarious reputation. Denis Villeneuve, of Dune, Blade Runner 2049, and Arrival fame, is one such artist, as is Yellowstone franchise mastermind Taylor Sheridan. Indeed, whenever one of these two are behind the storytelling wheel, viewers can count on being in safe hands.

Such was made apparent when the duo brought Sicario to life together in 2015 — Sheridan as the scribe, Villeneuve as the helmsman. The irony of it all, however, is that watching a film like Sicario evokes the exact opposite emotion of safety, but then, that’s as good a reason as any to plunge into a tale from Sheridan and/or Villeneuve in the first place. The denizens of Netflix, in any case, have found plenty of reasons to take that plunge.

Per FlixPatrol, Sicario is writhing around in ninth place on the Netflix film charts in the United States at the time of writing. Its closest competition? The direly incompetent Venom: The Last Dance (10th place) and the slightly stronger but still sugary Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (eighth place). Indeed, Sicario is a robust fish out of water here in content country.

Armed to the teeth with the likes of Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Daniel Kaluuya, Jon Bernthal, and Josh Brolin, Sicario follows FBI agent Kate Macer (Blunt) as she gets assigned to a special task force with the aim of taking down the leader of a drug cartel. As the operation drags out and one disturbing revelation leads to another, Kate becomes nauseatingly familiar with the underbelly of the war on drugs — in particular, the roll that governments decide to play in their management of them.

As far as action thrillers go, Sicario is on the low-octane side — a necessary approach so as to drive home its philosophy on violence. Within the opening minutes of Sicario, the camera lingers long and piercingly on the rotting corpses of hostages taken by the cartel, forcing audiences to consider the consequences of the violence that they so often cheer for in the movies, and if they’re willing to stomach the reality of those consequences.

Moreover, whenever the proceedings do give way to gunplay, Villeneuve is careful not to give it any flair, opting instead to unload a quick jolt of carnage — which is all you need to take a life, or even several lives — so as to once again leave us with the blood and bodies while the boys’ club of the task force bump chests and crack insensitive quips. It’s no accident that our protagonist is a harborer of the feminine spirit.

In this action thriller, violence is not something to giddily anticipate, but to be frightened by. It doesn’t frame the violence as heroic for one side and antagonistic for the other, and in fact makes a point to pull the attention away from the traditional notion of sides. In Sicario‘s world, the only thing keeping you and your family out of the crosshairs is some combination of compliance and dumb luck, because there are some corners of the world that the law simply doesn’t last in, and it’s up to us as individuals to keep our worlds from falling into those corners.

Meghan Markle is no stranger to the polarizing perceptions about her, particularly online. The actress-turned-duchess has heard it all and lived to tell the tale. Instead of dwelling on the negativity, she has focused her ions on some projects close to her heart, one of which was her Netflix lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan. The show was hosted by the duchess and followed her and a series of guests as they cooked, gardened, crafted, and conversed. 

Despite the fun-filled activities, With Love, Meghan was ultimately met with mixed reviews. Expectedly so, too, since Meghan’s become one of the most scrutinized celebrities of the modern era. However, an inside look into the atmosphere on set with the duchess might change some minds. 

The truth about working with Meghan 

People magazine released an exclusive piece that interviewed multiple crew and guest stars from With Love, Meghan, and what they had to say might shock some people. While the world has all its perceptions of the duchess, everybody who spoke to People only had amazing things to say about her.

Director Michael Steed spoke about how he had “a lot of fun” creating the show with Meghan. He spoke about his creative vision for the show and how he encouraged the duchess to embrace imperfections. “I really wanted to embrace and celebrate all of the mistakes and mess and all that good stuff,” he said. He also had a lot to say about the duchess’s personality, calling her “friendly and approachable.” 

People also got in touch with an anonymous crew member from the show who shared that Meghan prepared something special for them weekly. One week she brought a coffee cart in the mornings, while, another week, she brought in a shaved ice truck to combat the heat. The crew member noted how, after he mentioned that he had stopped drinking after becoming a father, Meghan had ed that and commended him on it. 

He called Meghan “warm,” “approachable,” and  “genuine,” and commented on how willing she was to learn while on set. “She didn’t seem married to any one idea. If something didn’t go perfectly, she was fine with it and moved on to the next thing.” The duchess also made sure that everyone on set got to taste the things that she cooked. When filming wrapped, she gave the crew a wrap gift- a saute pan from Our Place and a monogrammed spoon that read ‘Thank You, Crew.’

Several of Meghan’s friends also spoke to People, including her makeup artist, Daniel Martin, photographer Jake Rosenberg, Tatcha skincare founder Vicky Tsai, and more. The consensus? The Duchess of Sussex was a joy to be around. 

With Love, Meghan’s guest stars speak out

It’s not only the crew of With Love, Meghan that had great things to say about the duchess. Each episode of the show featured at least one guest. These included both friends of Meghan’s, and celebrity guests that she had never interacted with. While we’d expect her friends to have nice words about her, some of the celebrity guests also gave statements to People. 

The third episode of the show, titled “Two Kids from L.A.,” saw Meghan bonding with the illustrious chef Roy Choi. In preparation for his visit, she baked him donuts, and the pair bonded over their childhoods in Los Angeles. Speaking about her cooking skills, Choi told People, “She was great. This wasn’t an act, you know? This is something she truly loves to do. She was very natural in the kitchen.” 

He was also delighted by her relatability, saying, “She’s the Duchess of Sussex, but before that, she was Meghan from L.A., from Immaculate Heart High School. I could see the genuineness in her, like before her whole life changed. She’s Meghan from the block.” Furthermore, he commended her on the show’s choice to move its release to March in the wake of the L.A. wildfires. 

Another new friend the Duchess made was renowned chef and restaurateur Alice Waters. Waters is a pioneer and activist of sustainable agriculture and featured in the finale episode of the show, titled “Feels Like Home.” She and the duchess became fast friends after her time on the show. “We really had a connection. It was deeply heartwarming,” she told People. She shared that Meghan gave her a wrap gift as well– a necklace. Moreover, With Love, Meghan was a true ion project. With a season 2 confirmed, the duchess has some more cooking and bonding in store for viewers. 

Meghan Markle’s latest Netflix project, With Love, Meghan, has seemingly stumbled right out of the gate. After suffering a delayed release, the show officially premiered on March 4. However, it quickly lost the hype Markle had worked hard to build since late last year, with streaming numbers nosediving in a matter of days. But that’s just one of the Duchess of Sussex’s worries — since she’s now being hit by criticisms left and right.

Former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown recently put out a scathing review of Markle and her show, and she made sure to call out what she thinks the Duchess did wrong with the series, which was intended as a platform to boost her image. In the latest Substack newsletter, Fresh Hell, Brown did not mince words as she poured out her honest thoughts after watching With Love, Meghan.

“With her unerring instinct for getting it wrong, Meghan has come out with a show about fake perfection just when the zeitgeist has turned raucously against it,” she wrote. “[Markle] has never figured out a convincing persona. Masquerading as an influencer, she’s the ultimate follower, which inevitably means she is behind the curve.”

Brown also didn’t hold back when she discussed the show more broadly, slamming it as “preposterous” and ridiculing the opening scene. “With Love, Meghan never really recovers from its preposterous opening scene of Meghan, dressed in a veiled beekeeper’s space suit, whispering with her apiarist about the wonder of bees,” she wrote.

As if that wasn’t enough, Brown claimed Markle’s career was spiralling in reverse from the looks of things. “[The show] is a testament to how far the beleaguered Duchess of Sussex has rowed herself backward in time since she first burst into the public consciousness more than eight years ago,” Brown wrote.

Beyond her new series, the former editor went on to slam Markle for exiting the Royal Family with Prince Harry instead of sticking it out until Queen Elizabeth II’s ing. “All Meghan had to do was shut up and wait. Go quiet for a couple of years, start a family, keep her eyes trained on the splendid royal real estate that would soon come up for grabs,” she wrote, while noting that the royal couple could have established a bigger following and influence as royals by now.

Brown’s criticism of Markle and her new show did not come as a surprise, however, since she’s made it clear in the past that she’s not a fan of the royal couple. During an appearance on The Ankler podcast in October 2024, Brown even slammed both Markle and Prince Harry for being allegedly “addicted to drama.”

PSA : Watch The Oprah Interview, The Me You Can’t See, Harry & Meghan Netflix Documentary Series & read SPARE.

The only point of reference, on anything pertaining to Harry & Meghan. All these projects are historical records.

Their story, in their own words#HarryandMeghan pic.twitter.com/2jNAxht6JU

— Lili (@angellilix) January 18, 2025

Despite the backlash, Markle is getting the last laugh since Netflix has already ordered a second season for her lifestyle and cooking series even though it was only streamed in 526,000 U.S. households in its first five days on the platform. In comparison, Part 1 of the Harry & Meghan series pulled in 2.1 million households in the same period.

Considering that the Sussexes’ new project is losing steam quickly and their royal ties are in tatters, it’s possible that Markle and Prince Harry’s Hollywood fairytale could face a harsh reality check sometime soon.