Author: Brandon Zachary

The following contains spoilers for Act 2 of Arcane Season 2, now streaming on NetflixArcane introduced Isha in season 2, which raises questions as to whether she could factor in League of Legends. The Netflix animated series effectively serves as a prequel to the globally popular video game, exploring the origins of game characters like Vi and Jinx before they head to Summoner’s Rift. While the main focus has largely been on the characters appearing in the games, the series has also expanded its supporting cast with new faces. Some, like General Noxun Ambessa, are making the leap from television…

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The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons Season 36 Episode 6, ‘Women in Shorts,’ now streaming on HuluThe Simpsons modified their intro sequence for season 36’s “Women in Shorts”, reflecting the episode’s main focus on many of the women of Springfield. The Simpsons The intro has gone through some small tweaks and changes over the years, while maintaining the same iconic Danny Elfman soundtrack that’s been around since the first season. Although the specific style and background characters of the introduction have changed over time, the overall structure of the sequence generally remains focused on the titular family. However, some…

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The cast of Gladiator 2 It features some of the biggest names in Hollywood, from legendary actors to rising stars. The long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 film GladiatorThe new film takes place almost two decades after the events of the first film. After a major battle with the Roman Empire, a mysterious young man with uncontrollable rage is sold into slavery and taken to the capital to fight as a gladiator. Unbeknownst to almost everyone he meets, this is Lucius, a former prince of Rome who fled the city as a child. The long-awaited sequel to Gladiator attempts to…

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The following contains minor setup spoilers for Gladiator II, which opens in theaters on November 22Gladiator II boasts an impressive cast, including Matt Lucas – who may have left The Great British Cake partly due to the opportunity to be in the film. Set sixteen years after the events of the first Gladiator, Gladiator II follows Lucius Verus as he is forcibly brought back to Rome as a gladiator and finds himself caught in the middle of a power play for the throne. Gladiator IIThe cast of characters includes figures that allude to the real-life history of Rome, as well…

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The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons Season 36 Episode 6, ‘Women in Shorts,’ now streaming on HuluThe Simpsons’The anthology’s latest episode quietly introduces a small retcon to one of the most beloved episodes from the series’ Golden Age. The Simpsons’ longevity means it has a lot of canon and history to play with, but a wide world of adaptable characters to experience. For the most part, this allowed the characters to change and evolve over the course of thirty-six seasons. Sometimes, however, the new plots in The Simpsons retelling the backstories and histories of certain characters. This can occur…

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The following contains spoilers for The Franchise Season 1 Episode 6, ‘Scene 110: Baptism of Fire,’ now streaming on MaxThe franchiseThe sixth episode included a surprise “cameo” by Tom Cruise and Christopher Nolan that influences the episode’s overall plot. The franchise has been a cutting parody of the blockbuster film industry, poking fun at some of the biggest controversies that have arisen just beneath the surface of the Hollywood hype machine. However, while the series has had fun expanding its own parody of franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it largely avoids directly bringing in real-life figures. This changes in…

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The following contains spoilers for Act 1 of Arcane Season 2, now streaming on NetflixArcane season 2 contains a clever easter egg that confirms that another champion has existed in the world of Zaun all along. As a prequel to League of LegendsThe animated series has been introducing more and more playable characters in the popular video game. Although most of the show’s focus remained on ArcaneWith Season 2’s cast of characters like Vi and Jinx, as well as the people in their orbit, the series has constantly teased a number of other characters who exist in the game but…

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The latest expansion of the Yakuza series, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a combat-heavy adventure that fuses the action of the classic games with a more modern goofy approach. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the latest spin-off in the long run Yakuza SeriesWhich has expanded over the years from a crime drama into a sprawling universe that can balance high-stakes combat with karaoke mini-games. Recent titles have embraced the inherently silly aspects of the universe, but nowhere near as much as the newly announced Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. The game is an open-ended adventure Where players can…

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The following contains spoilers for Arcane Season 2 Episode 3, ‘Finally Got The Name Right,’ now streaming on NetflixArcane created the Black Rose. An animated prequel to the globally popular video game League of Legends, Arcane has been a gateway for audiences into the expansive world of Runeterra. Although a large part Arcane focused on a cast of characters like Jinx and Vi struggling with the conflict between sister cities Piltover and Zaun, there were some references to other elements of the world. The scope of magic and history of the realms could be fertile ground to explore in the…

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The following contains spoilers for Arcane Season 2 Episode 2, ‘Watch It All Burn,’ now streaming on NetflixArcane Season 2 gives Sevika a new cyborg arm that works in some pretty unique ways. Played by Amirah Vann, Sevika was introduced in the 1st season of League of Legends adaptation functioning as Silco’s main executor. A deadly and dangerous fighter who proves to be more cunning than anyone gives her credit for, Sevika was a compelling secondary villain in the first season who narrowly escaped her final fight with Vi with her life on the line. Arcane end of season 1.…

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