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In a first, the U.S. Energy Information Agency said it will require data centers to disclose details of their energy use.

There comes a time and moment during a game when a player simply takes over a game for his basketball team.

St. Francis senior Robert Gomez Jr. and Pajaro Valley sophomore Alan Cervantes were those go-to guys for their respective squads this past winter season.

The two local ballers displayed their offensive skills by scoring from all parts of the hardwood court while also dishing the rock to open teammates for the easy bucket.

Gomez Jr. and Cervantes didn’t just meet expectations, they exceeded them. 

The coaches within the Pacific Coast Athletic League took notice by naming Gomez Jr. and Cervantes the Offensive Player of the Year in the Mission and Santa Lucia divisions, respectively.

“[Gomez Jr.] had a heck of a year,” said St. Francis head coach, and father, Robert Gomez. “What impressed me most about his year was his consistency.” 

Gomez Jr. scored more than 20 points in 10 of the 12 games in Mission Division play, and in both of the Sharks’ Central Coast Section playoff games. 

The times he didn’t reach that marker was because they were ahead by a large margin, forcing Gomez Jr. to not play much in the fourth quarter. 

Gomez Jr. finished with an average of 18.8 points per game in 25 games played, scoring a total of 471 points this past winter season, according to statistics on the Monterey Bay Preps website.

The Sharks standout was a sharpshooter from beyond the arc with a total of 89 3-pointers, and also led the Mission Division in steals while playing a full 32 minutes in most games. 

“His basketball maturity stepped up big time, and he came to play on both sides of the ball every night,” Gomez said. 

Marina senior Kaleb True and Hollister freshman Rudy Lopez Jr. were named the Mission Division’s co-Most Valuable Players for the 2025-26 season.

PV head coach Eddie Marin said Cervantes is a combo player who can play a forward/guard hybrid-type position, or as the skipper calls it the “point-forward”, with tons of potential and room for growth. 

“[Cervantes] maturity level and the way he continues to improve every year have been amazing,” Marin said. 

Cervantes played during some critical minutes this past winter campaign for PV, which were runners-up in the PCAL Santa Lucia standings. He was recording double-double numbers, finishing with an average of 14 points and 11 rebounds per game.

“[Cervantes’] leadership on and off the court has been great, and the sky is the limit for him this upcoming year,” Marin said. 

The Grizzly standout said his sophomore season had a lot of great challenges. Cervantes added that seeing the game differently made him realize new ways to improve, letting the game come to him while making the team better.

“I feel honored to be chosen for such an award,” Cervantes said. “I appreciate everyone who’s been with me along the way, from teammates to coaches. I will continue to improve and learn a lot from my experiences, and work hard in the offseason.”

Kirby senior Chris Lively was named the Santa Lucia’s Most Valuable Player, while York sophomore Andrew Boyce took home the Defensive Player of the Year award. 

Cervantes’ goal has always been to play at the college level, saying he’s willing to do anything to make that possible, starting by working hard and getting better every year. 

“Basketball has always been on my mind since I was young, and it is sometimes my only way to escape reality and find joy and excitement,” he said. 

Pacific Coast Athletic League All-League Boys Basketball Teams Mission Division Individual Awards

Most Valuable Players: Kaleb True (Sr.), Marina and Rudy Lopez Jr. (Fr.), Hollister

Offensive Player of the Year: Robert Gomez Jr. (Sr.), St. Francis

First Team

Kingston Salviejo, Rancho San Juan

Cooper Olin, Stevenson

Sebastian Jones, Alvarez

Kaleb True, Marina

Rudy Lopez Jr., Hollister

Robert Gomez, St Francis

Second Team

Darrian Kelly, Marina

Nate Kombe, Marina

Ray Bojorquez, Alvarez

Rollins Bastien, Hollister

Jacob Jimenez, St. Francis

Donovan Diaz, Hollister

Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team

AIdan Petrossi , Marina

Aiden Jones, Alvarez

Isaiah Villalobos, St Francis

Kody Dickens, Hollister

Jack Dalhamer, Stevenson

Marcos Garcia, RSJ

Conor Perez, North Monterey County

Santa Lucia Division Individual Awards

Most Valuable Player: Chris Lively (Sr.), Kirby

Offensive Player of the Year: Alan Cervantes (So.), Pajaro Valley

Defensive Player of the Year: Andrew Boyce (So.), York

First Team

Chris Lively, Kirby 

Alon Teragawa, Kirby 

Juanito Montiel, Pajaro Valley 

Alan Cervantes, Pajaro Valley  

Andrew Boyce, York  

Brady Ramones, Trinity Christian 

Second Team 

Henry Gorecki-Cook, Kirby 

Jude Epega, York 

Adrian Valdez, Pajaro Valley 

Felix Io, Anzar 

Xavier Contreras, Anzar 

Rey Magana, Ceiba 

Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team 

Jerry Zhao, York 

Manuel Florean, Kirby 

Mario Ramirez, Pajaro Valley 

Brayden Tollison, Anzar 

Marcos Arellano, Ceiba 

Nathan Leta, Monterey Bay Academy 

Joel Torres, Trinity Christian

Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team

Ceiba

Cypress Division Individual Awards

Most Valuable Player: Pedro Morales (Sr.), Soledad

First Team

Pedro Morales (Sr.), Soledad

Calvin DeShazo (So.), Soledad

Johell Carrillo (Sr.), King City

Jeremy Silver (Sr.), Monte Vista Christian

Matteo Vidal (Jr.), MVC

Andre Lizaola (Sr.), North Salinas

Second Team

Jeronimo Morales (So.), Soledad

Go Kamashita (Sr.), MVC

Johnny Miranda (Sr.), Greenfield

Fernando De Leon-Amador (Sr.), Gonzales

Tulua Timote (Sr.), Seaside

Angel Lizaola (Sr.), North Salinas

Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team

Jose Estrada (Sr.), Soledad

Niel Rader (So.), MVC

Benny Navarro (Sr.), North Salinas

Fernando Camacho (Sr.), King City

Frankie Hernandez (Sr.), Greenfield

Caine Viallanueva (Fr.), Seaside

Ian Bulfin (Sr.), Pacific Collegiate

Alex Hernandez (Fr.), Gonzales

Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team

Seaside

Gabilan Division Individual Awards

Most Valuable Player: JT Herreld (Sr.), Palma

Offensive Player of the Year: Tai Suich (Jr.), Palma

Defensive Player of Year: Gabriel Valencia (Sr.), Pacific Grove

First Team 

J.T. Harreld (Sr.), Palma 

Tai Suich (Jr.), Palma 

Gabriel Valencia (Sr.), Pacific Grove 

Max Aceves (Sr.), Watsonville  

Bryce Smith-Keeney (Jr.), Oakwood 

Dekota Ordonio (Sr.), Monterey 

Second Team

JJ Saucedo (Sr.), Palma

Andrew Nimri (Jr.), Pacific Grove

Bronson Gulley (Jr.), Monterey 

Christian Lopez (Sr.), Alisal

Sebastian Reiser (Jr.), Carmel

Mikkah Claspell (So.), Salinas

Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team

Luke Hansotte, Oakwood

Diego Garcia, Watsonville

Aaron Dimaano-Antolin, Alisal

Bobby Pineda, Salinas

Don Desai, Carmel

Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team

Palma

Gizmo, an AI-powered learning platform, has attracted more than 13 million users and just secured $22 million in Series A funding.

Objection, a Thiel-backed startup, aims to use AI to judge journalism, letting users pay to challenge stories. Critics warn it could chill whistleblowers and reshape how media accountability works.

It’s almost time to check into our favorite gossipy hotel once more. The White Lotus will soon return for season four, and this time, it’s more meta than ever, as the TV series takes on one of the biggest moments in the entertainment world, the Cannes Film Festival. There’s no doubt that among the glittering stars in their expensive fashions, there’s a lot of dirty laundry to unpack, dramas to play out, and hopes and dreams to shatter… And no one does it quite like The White Lotus. The White Lotus also revealed that season four has begun filming and confirmed its typically star-studded cast. But our biggest question remains: Will Survivor‘s Ozzy Lusth get his White Lotus cameo? Come on, Mike White, you know you want to! Here’s what we know about The White Lotus season four so far.HBO

A new release about The White Lotus season four shares, “The Emmy-winning HBO Original series THE WHITE LOTUS, from Mike White, has begun filming on the French Riviera. The season will film in Cannes, St. Tropez, and Monaco. Filming will also take place in Paris, though the story will remain along the Côte d’Azur.”

The logline for The White Lotus season four lets us know a little bit more about what’s in store for us: “he fourth season will follow a new group of White Lotus hotel guests and employees over the span of a week, taking place during the Cannes Film Festival.” Basically, what we could have expected from The White Lotus, but we do love this season four twist that takes us to Cannes. The White Lotus has always been great about incorporating real-world energy into its heightened fiction. But anchoring this new chapter in an actual event we all know will take it to the next level.

Marvel/Paramount Pictures/ABC

This season’s cast of characters includes Helena Bonham Carter, Vincent Cassel, Steve Coogan, Caleb Jonte Edwards, Dylan Ennis, Corentin Fila, Ari Graynor, Marissa Long, Alexander Ludwig, Chris Messina, AJ Michalka, Kumail Nanjiani, and Nadia Tereszkiewicz. Additional cast includes Chloe Bennet, Sandra Bernhard, Heather Graham, Max Greenfield, Frida Gustavsson, Charlie Hall, Jarrad Paul, Rosie Perez, Ben Schnetzer, and Laura Smet. And we can’t wait to see them all interact.

RELATED ARTICLE

WHITE LOTUS Actor Tom Hollander Once Got Tom Holland’s AVENGERS Paycheck By Mistake

Of course, we’ll be curious to see how Mike White’s Survivor 50 outing shifts the narrative. He was blindsided by people he considered to be close friends on the show. (But not Ozzy, Mike White, not Ozzy.) And while The White Lotus‘ tales always include some backstabbing and lies, perhaps the tone will be more cutting than ever. As a person currently watching Survivor with great enthusiasm, I know I’ll be curious to see if there’s even MORE meta-drama within the meta-drama. And if there’s anyone who might just deliver on that, it’s Mike White.

CBS

But, as we said, on a sweeter note, we would like for Mike White to make the dreams of Survivor‘s Ozzy come true and give him that cameo he’s been hoping for, unrepentantly. Hey, you have to go after what you want in this life. And we feel like he’s earned it. We’d certainly be excited to see Ozzy pop up on The White Lotus in season four and would cheer. So many dreams to make come true, Mike White.

The White Lotus season four is now filming. Hopefully, we’ll get to see it sooner rather than later.

The post THE WHITE LOTUS Season 4 Will Take Place at Cannes Film Festival appeared first on Nerdist.

You can share anything on their screen with Gemini to get help with what they're looking at in the moment, including local files

No reports of active exploitation (yet)

Watch out for more Fortinet vulns! Two critical bugs in Fortinet's sandbox could allow unauthenticated attackers to bypass authentication or execute unauthorized code on vulnerable systems.…

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James Gunn’s Superman became the fan-favorite superhero movie of 2025, officially launching the new DCU on the big screen. And in 2027, we’ll get our first continuation, which DC Studios has called the next chapter in the “Super Family Saga.”

At CinemaCon, James Gunn, Nicholas Hoult, and David Corenswet shared a new tease of the Superman sequel movie and its core plot. Gunn shared the movie boiled down to, “Try saving the world with your sworn enemy.” While Hoult revealed that the Superman movie would see “a new villain and an unlikely alliance.” They also revealed that Man of Tomorrow would begin filming in April of 2026.

Here is everything we know so far about the much-anticipated return of the Last Son of Krypton to the big screen in Man of Tomorrow.

TitleDC Studios

The official title of the Superman follow-up is Man of Tomorrow, and not Superman: Man of Tomorrow, as many have speculated. According to James Gunn, Man of Tomorrow is “as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie.”

DC StudiosMan of Tomorrow’s Plot

The plot of this sequel will have Superman and his arch-nemesis, Lex Luthor, team up to take down a greater threat, which we know will be the despotic alien android, Brainiac. Based on the teaser art released by Jim Lee to go with the title announcement, Lex Luthor will wear his comic book-accurate warsuit in the film.

Behind-the-Scenes

DC Studios co-head James Gunn is once again back as writer/director. John Murphy and David Fleming are expected to return to score the sequel as well.

Man of Tomorrow’s CastDC Studios

Much of the cast of Superman will return for Man of Tomorrow. David Corenswet is back as Superman/Clark Kent, naturally, and Rachel Brosnahan also returns as Lois Lane. Nicholas Hoult will co-star as Lex Luthor, and Frank Grillo is also returning as Rick Flag Sr. Most of the Daily Planet staff are presumably also returning. This includes Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, and Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant. And as the evil Brainiac, Gunn has cast German actor Lars Eidinger.

Netflix/DC Comics

Isabel Merced has confirmed she is also flying back into Metropolis as Hawkgirl. There’s no official word on Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, or Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho. But we expect at least some of these Justice Gang members to return. Some storyboards seen in Superman special features suggest Supergirl (Milly Alcock) will also feature in this story in some capacity. Oh, and we think there will be riots if Krypto doesn’t come back as well.

According to Variety, Aaron Pierre will also join the cast of Man of Tomorrow. This news comes ahead of his debut as John Stewart in the Lanterns TV series. Finally, Adria Arjona has been cast in the DCU for this movie. But we don’t yet know which role she is playing.

Man of Tomorrow’s Release Date

The official release date for DC Studios’ Man of Tomorrow is July 9, 2027.

Originally published December 30, 2025.

The post James Gunn Shares New MAN OF TOMORROW Tease appeared first on Nerdist.

Kamila Szewczyk prefers old software, as back then people understood something could actually be finished

No one can tell software developer Kamila Szewczyk that newer is better: She just fixed a 20-year-old bug in Enlightenment E16, the old-school Linux window manager she favors partly because, she tells us, it is actually finished software.…

Come on, admit it. You know it, I know it. Maybe James Gunn knows it, but Lex Luthor was basically in love with Superman in the DCU’s hit summer movie. I mean, he studied every one of his movements so that he could emulate them precisely with a click of a button… through the mechanism of his very own obedient Superman clone. The line between love and hate is thin. And the line between obsession and infatuation is even thinner. It’s what we like to call around these fandom parts, Clex. After all, where did Lex put Superman when he captured him, yes, in the interdimensional prison where he keeps his exs. Hrm. If that weren’t enough, Lex’s official DCU Superman playlist is, and I say this as a queer person, so, with love, pretty gay. There’s Prince, and Bowie, and Queen—bona fide queer icons. And, if that weren’t enough, Perfume Genius. Yeah, there’s a song about inducing gay panic in Lex’s playlist. So, you know. Although, of course, Lois and Clark were the chief romantic interlude of Superman, the movie left a lot of room for Clex shippers to rejoice. But nothing, and I mean nothing, was as triumphant to Clex-kind as the announcement for the next Superman movie, Man of Tomorrow. And, to be honest, every new thing we hear about the movie just makes it feel even more like it’s about to be a triumph for Clex shippers. DC Studios

Most recently, James Gunn, Nicholas Hoult, and David Corenswet teased Man of Tomorrow at CinemaCon and here’s what they had to say. Gunn teased, “Try saving the world with your sworn enemy,” while Hoult revealed that the Superman movie would see “a new villain and an unlikely alliance.” Sooo unlikely. Naturally, the internet knew exactly what to say.

yaoi nuke incoming https://t.co/sIRFNDDOrK

— chirpy 🐤 tell me to lock in for exams PLEASE (@chirpi_575) April 15, 2026

they're gonna defeat brainiac with the power of love and friendship and bald man impregnation 🙏 https://t.co/szDXuMdoHZ

— tommy (@tommyrotz) April 15, 2026

And all of this really takes us back to the annoucement for Man of Tomorrow. Which had me totally flailing when I saw it. Three pieces of new DC art to celebrate Man of Tomorrow and in all three Lex and Superman are all up in one other’s space? I’m pretty sure that they’re downright flirty in the one where Superman is holding…wait for it… a screwdriver. I’ll let that sink in, but since this is a family show, I won’t go too far into all the implications the screw…driver has to offer. I’ll suffice to say again. Screwdriver. And add to that how both of them seem kind of pleased to be in one another’s company, maybe even fighting together, and bam! Clex nirvana.

DC Studios

And we all know who would support Clex if it happened. (Yes, it’s Nicholas Hoult, 100%) Then, of course, there’s the canon possibility that Lex and Clark will have a child together sometime in the DCU. So the odds are really stacking up in our favor here.

Okay, so the likelihood that Clark and Lex Luthor are going to fall in love in the next Superman movie is pretty slim. Although I again point you to Lex listening to Perfume Genius, which, maybe you’ve heard of if you’re not a queer person, but again, the odds seem slim. But James Gunn has confirmed that Man of Tomorrow is all about Lex and Clark’s relationship, and, in fact, the Superman film will see them team up against a much greater threat. (Something I totally called for Clex by the way.)

Gunn shares that Man of Tomorrow is “A story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat. It’s more complicated than that but that’s a big part of it. It’s as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie. I loved working with Nicholas Hoult. I relate to the character of Lex, sadly. I really wanted to create something extraordinary with the two of them. I just love the script so much.”

DC Studios

Please, James Gunn, create something extraordinary between the two of them. Give us the Clex we need and deserve. After all, wasn’t Superman’s epic monologue at the end of the movie, really just about telling Lex that he believed in him and hoped he would do better eventually? And Nicholas Hoult brought such an extraordinary fragility to the terrible character of Lex; we can’t let that go to waste. In any other hands, he would have been absolutely wretched. But here, there’s something more to him. Even if it’s not fully Clex, we just want to see these two be frenemies instead of total enemies. The rest we have on lock in the fanfic universe. And it sounds like we are about to get our wish.

Superman‘s sequel, Man of Tomorrow, releases on July 9, 2027.

Originally published on September 10, 2025.

The post James Gunn’s MAN OF TOMORROW Is for the Clex Shippers appeared first on Nerdist.

Ludwig van Beethoven never heard a note of his renowned Symphony No. 9. Because he was deaf by that point, he didn’t even hear the wildly enthusiastic applause as he received five standing ovations from the audience. Now Santa Cruz Symphony and Music Director Daniel Stewart bring that innovative composition to the concert stage, along with Antonín Dvořák’s exuberant Carnival Overture and Jaron Lanier’s beautiful Khaenoncerto.

Beethoven’s final symphonic creation was groundbreaking. Before this, a chorus and vocal soloists were never involved, because symphonies were only instrumental compositions. Symphony No. 9 was also longer and more complex than any other symphony, using a larger orchestra and expanding the symphonic structure. Beethoven included Friedrich Schiller’s hymn Ode to Joy, adding a humanistic appeal to unity, friendship, and freedom.

In fact, this symphony was so innovative that Beethoven worried the audience would not like his changes, such as reversing the order of two movements to create a more intense emotional buildup. After the final note, Beethoven did not even turn to face the audience—until someone turned him around so he could see the thunderous approval. Handkerchiefs and hats were thrown into the air and hands were raised so that Beethoven, who they knew could not hear their cheering, could at least see the ovations.

Santa Cruz Symphony’s performance of this masterwork features the orchestra in collaboration with Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus under the direction of Carlin Truong. Guest soloists include:

• Soprano Dani Zhang, an award-winning emerging artist currently studying at the New England Conservatory
• Mezzo-soprano Ginger Costa-Jackson, who honed her craft as part of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program
• Tenor Joshua Stewart, formerly with Munich’s Bavarian State Opera Studio, a Symphony favorite who also is a jazz performer
• Baritone Edward Tavalin, a newcomer from the Santa Cruz Mountains, who has played both leading and supporting opera roles

The joy continues

The concert opens with Antonin Dvořák’s Carnival Overture depicting humanity’s power to enjoy merriment and delight in happiness. In short, it’s a celebration of life. Written in the sonata form, it includes a creative and dreamy intermezzo. This is one of only three overtures he wrote, the other two being In Nature’s Realm and Othello.

Jaron Lanier has been named among the Top 100 Intellectuals, 100 Most Influential People, Top 50 World Thinkers, and one of the Top 25 Influencers in technological history.

Next, Jaron Lanier returns to the Santa Cruz Symphony stage with Khaenoncerto. Arranged by Maestro Daniel Stewart for the orchestra, this is an original composition for the khaen, a traditional multi-piped instrument from Laos. Premiered at the WRO 2000 Media Art Biennale in Warsaw, the music exemplifies his blend of technology, unconventional musical instruments, and immersive virtual environments. The piece was designed to interact with virtual reality (VR) worlds, reflecting the composer’s role as a pioneer of VR. 

Jaron Lanier has amassed a collection of about 2000 instruments, most of which he plays. Besides his musical talents, he is an inventor of virtual reality, a computer scientist, and a futurist. He has been named among the Top 100 Intellectuals, 100 Most Influential People, Top 50 World Thinkers, and one of the Top 25 Influencers in technological history.

Pre-Concert Talks: Scheduled for one hour before each concert, these talks feature insights by Dr. Don Adkins and Kiefer Taylor. They explain the background of each composition so audiences can enjoy the program more fully.

Open Rehearsal: A free open rehearsal is set at the Civic Auditorium on Thursday, April 30, at 7:30 pm. No reservations are required, and audiences can see how the concert comes together.

Tickets: Purchase online at https://tinyurl.com/scs-beethoven-tix

Student Rush: Students are eligible for $15 tickets 90 minutes prior to each Classical Series Symphony concert. Students must present valid student identification. Tickets subject to availability for all seating sections.

BUY TICKETS NOW

The post The greatest of all symphonies: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

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This post contains major spoilers for The Boys season five, episode three. If you want to avoid them until you watch, check out our previous final season coverage instead. If not, then join us in our latest interview with Eric Kripke about The Boys season three.

In episode three of The Boys final season Homelander imagined a holy message from a woman he killed, bathed in breast milk, got naked in front of his dad, and nearly beat his own son to death. Even for him it was a lot. What was it like imagining what the world’s most powerful Supe’s descent into madness would do entail? When we got a chance to talk to him again we asked showrunner Eric Kripke about that. We also talked about the cast, The Deep’s car of choice, and more about season five’s third episode.

Prime Video

Nerdist: Before we get to this week’s episode, I have one quick question about episode two. When you were developing Rock Hard’s story, did you ever think to yourself, “Is there something wrong with us?”

Kripke: (big laugh) I mean, I’ve both always asked that question but also never have asked that question. Oh man, it’s all fair play. I mean, look, it’s logical. The guy’s got to spurt lava. How else do you grow as a mountain? Like, use some logic, Mikey. (laughs)

Sorry.

Kripke: He’s got to grow. We knew that he had to become huge. There’s only one way mountains become huge.

Okay. Yeah, fair. Fair. When you’re right, you’re right.

Prime Video

He’s never exactly been stable, but we’re now watching Homelander completely lose it.

Kripke: Yeah.

What was the conversation like in The Boys writers’ room when you tried to figure out what it would look like when the most powerful person in the world really loses their mind?

Kripke: An idea that came up reasonably early and that we always loved, just absolutely fell in love with, was this notion that an angel in the form of Madelyn Stillwell comes down and sort of gives him his holy mission. Which, of course, is his completely cracking psyche, but he actually believes he was visited by angel Madelyn Stillwell. And we held onto that as things break and things change and move around and, “Where does it go?”

All that stuff is very intangible; it’s always floating around. But that was a coin we always had on the board of, “Stillwell gives him his holy mission.” We thought that was the best way to do it. After spinning out after A-Train, and then Soldier Boy, and then Soldier Boy hates him, and then all the previous seasons, [Homelander] was just due. This felt like the right episode to be due for a psychological break.

It’s also the episode that would be the end of act one in a movie, where all the missions are now thrown out there and clear. Which is that he wants V-One so he can become a god. The Boys want V-One, so Homelander one doesn’t get it, but also so that they can save Kimiko and Annie. So it all kind of lined up at the right place because this is after the first two episodes of setup. This is when we sort of take off into what the rest of the season is about.

Prime Video

Even after all this time, I’m still blown away by Antony Starr’s performance, which I already thought was an all-time, singular performance before season five. Sustained greatness can be easy to take for granted. So as a showrunner, what do you think specifically stands out about his work in these early episodes?

Kripke: It’s this combustible mix of truly terrifying brutality with the weakest, smallest neediness. And he’s always been great at that, but there’s something about this season where he’s such an open wound. He’s such a little child in how much he wants his father’s approval, how much he needs the world to love him. You just see it, the longing. And then he can switch so quickly and be just genuinely terrifying.

I think Ant has created one of the great television villains of all time, and it’s like, “What else does he have to fucking do? Give this guy an Emmy already for fuck’s sake.”

Totally agree on that. I also love what Karen Fukuhara’s doing this season in what is a very different role for a very obvious reason. Considering her performance this year, do you wish you had had Kimiko talking sooner?

Kripke: …No. This was the right time to do it, for this last season. What that character had to go through in terms of her evolution, from when you think about where she started to where she is now, she had to find her voice from a character and thematic standpoint before she could find her voice physically. And that took a minute. So I don’t know if I would’ve done it any earlier. But she’s crushing it. It’s such a hard challenge to spend four seasons without a line of dialogue and then suddenly be speaking and have it be equally charming and scary. And she’s crushing it.

Imagine going back and saying Kimiko’s going to be the funniest character on the show.

Kripke: (laughs) Right?

Prime Video

If you can’t tell, I’m really kind of blown away by the performances of season five. As I told Jessie T. Usher, I’m trying not to succumb to recency bias, but I feel like everybody’s doing their best work yet. And that includes Erin Moriarty, who is once again phenomenal in this third episode. What did you talk about with her, and where Starlight is emotionally, before you started shooting this season?

Kripke: I told her it’s been a really hard year with lots of loss, and you’ve really come over to Butcher’s way of thinking, which is that ends justify the means. That you’ve needed to put up a shell to defend yourself, because your heart is just being broken so many times, and it callouses, ultimately.

The simplest way to put it, that I think really resonated with her, is I said, “Well, you turned into Maeve. You did the one thing you swore you’d never do. You gave away so much of yourself, and your heart got broken so many times that you’re Maeve.” And so the question is, “Can Hughie pull you back to who you were?” There’s something sort of full circle and poetic about who she was in season one, and how she just so desperately didn’t want to become this type of personality. But lo and behold, she is.

In episode three, Hughie gives her just a minute of hope. You see it where his goodness is just making her think for the first time in a long time, maybe everything’s going to be okay. But then she thinks he almost dies. She thinks he’s dead, and she just realizes that, at least at this moment, that all of that is dangerous. It’s dangerous and painful to hope. And that sort of sends her off at the end of the episode into the next one.

Prime Video

Another episode of The Boys where Hughie gets covered in goo. Last week, The Deep did a commercial for a very highly specific tanning machine.

Kripke: (smiles) Sure.

After all this time, who do you prefer to torture more: Jack Quaid or Chase Crawford?

Kripke: Um….I would say…(smiling) neither are tortured. I would say both are doing good, hard work for their characters. Jack has an amazing Buster Keaton dry reaction to being covered in blood, which is delightful. Chase is just so endlessly funny. I don’t think Chase is tortured. I think Chase loves doing all that stuff.

Those clips are going to live forever.

Kripke: But he loves it. One thing I will say, too is that the very first idea we had about The Deep this season, I mean, the first one is that he drives a Cybertruck.

Perfect. It was perfect.

Prime Video

Kripke: It was so obvious, right?

Perfect. Made the most sense in the world.

Kripke: Yeah. This was the episode that we got to do it, but that was before any other idea. That was the first one.

As soon as he was driving, it was like, “Of course.“

Kripke: What other car would he be driving?

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He’d take the goo over what Chace Crawford has to do on The Boys. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post THE BOYS’ Eric Kripke on Homelander’s Total Meltdown and The Deep’s Cybertruck appeared first on Nerdist.

Hello there, travelers. A harrowing new adventure lurks just over the horizon. The makers of the award-winning Horrified game franchise are bringing you a new version of the game. Set in the mysterious land of Barovia, players can unlock a terrifying shrine of gothic horrors—if they dare. Encounter vampires, witches, and other frightening monsters inspired by Ravenloft, a fan-favorite setting in the D&D universe. Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons – Ravenloft is available for pre-order now. Ravensburger

Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons – Ravenloft, the latest addition to the Horrified game series, combines classic role-play adventure with the spooky essence of gothic horror. Players must work together to defeat four horrifying foes inspired by the dark creatures of Ravenloft—a vampire, a witch, a living doll, and a sentient tree. Here’s an official synopsis of what terrors await you on your quest:

In Horrified: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS – Ravenloft, players will choose to play as one of five new Heroes, each inspired by character classes from D&D. Together, they’ll take on the Vampire Dark Lord Strahd Von Zarovich; the murderous living doll Carrionette; the witch Baba Lysaga and her walking hut; and the sentient, supernatural Gulthias Tree. 

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The game comes with a stunningly illustrated game board, sculpted minis representing each monster, hero markers, cards, tokens, and a custom d20 for extra flair. Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons – Ravenloft‘s cover is just as daunting, betraying a glimpse of the nightmares that await you on this journey. There’s a haunting mansion, a bloodthirsty vampire with glowing red eyes, a tree with nine yellow eyes, and what can only be Baba Lysaga’s walking hut in the background.

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We’re going to go ahead and say that it has been a BIG year for fans of Dungeons & Dragons, not to mention we’re basically living in the era of the vampire. And that makes this Horrified outing absolute perfection. The first Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons was one of our favorite games ever, so we know this one will only be bigger and better than ever before. It’s also basically for everyone. Fans who love Horrified can experience an otherworldly adventure of great lore. And those seasoned D&D players can try their hand at a new kind of game while diving deeper into a world that already appeals. If you’re in neither one of these categories, what are you waiting for?

Ravensburger

From toy and game publisher Ravensburger, Horrified: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Ravenloft is under license by Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast. The new game can be combined with other Horrified sets for even greater gameplay. The horrifying expansion officially arrives on July 19, 2026. It is currently available for pre-order at Target.

The post HORRIFIED: DUNGEON & DRAGONS Pits Players Against Ravenloft’s Scariest Monsters appeared first on Nerdist.

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