The onslaught of Marvel streaming TV shows continues, and Hawkeye will be one of the plethora of secondary characters getting their chance to shine on the small screen. Variety first broke the news that the series will deal with Clint Barton passing the mantle of Hawkeye on to Kate Bishop, familiar to fans of Marvel's various Young Avengers series. Hawkeye will join other Marvel series on Disney+ including Falcon and The Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Loki.

Now Hawkeye has gotten a showrunner tasked with telling Clint and Kate's story. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney+ has chosen Jonathan Igla as writer, executive producer, and de facto showrunner on Hawkeye. Igla previously served as a writer and story editor on Mad Men. He doesn't have a lot of superhero work on his C.V., but then again neither did a lot of the MCU's storytellers when they signed on. 

Here is everything else we know about Hawkeye.

Hawkeye TV Show Release Date

Disney+ will launch on November 12, 2019, long after the dust from Avengers: Endgame has settled, and will lead with Star Wars live action series The Mandalorian before we get to one of the Marvel efforts. Marvel announced during their SDCC 2019 appearance that Hawkeye will arrive in Fall of 2021. 

read more: Marvel TV Release Schedule

Hawkeye TV Show Cast

Jeremy Renner will presumably be back to star as the title character.

Hawkeye hasn't exactly had the easiest time of it in the MCU. Having been little more than a supporting player in the first two Avengers movies, he was absent entirely from Avengers: Infinity War. It was only Avengers: Endgame that revealed that he had not only survived Thanos' snap, but had forged himself a brand new identity (with a slick costume) as Ronin. And then he lost his best friend. So yeah, Clint will be in an interesting state whenever we catch up with him on this show.

Hawkeye TV Show Story

The story will focus on Clint Barton training Kate Bishop to be the new Hawkeye. Why would anyone think that Hawkeye could sustain his own series, I hear you say? I'm glad you asked!

Because Matt Fraction, David Aja, and Javier Pulido's Hawkeye comic book series was nothing less than a masterpiece. It primarily dealt with Clint Barton on his "off days" from the Avengers, and depicted him as a hard luck, constantly beaten up, half awake, often unlucky guy (I feel this) helping keep his neighborhood safe, getting swept into side missions, and getting made fun of by Kate Bishop. If you haven't read it, fix that.

No word yet on whether Pizza Dog, his equally hard luck and super adorable mutt, will make an appearance. He had better. No Pizza Dog, no peace.

We wrote more about Kate Bishop, her ties to Hawkeye, and how she could fit in the MCU right here.

Read and download the Den of Geek SDCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Mike Cecchini is the Editor in Chief of Den of Geek. You can read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter @wayoutstuff.

Now that WarnerMedia's new streaming service, HBO Max, has a name, all it needs is some more shows.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO Max is set to expand its roster and will develop a series based on the life of celebrity chef Julia Child starring Joan Cusack (Toy Story 4) as the chef. David Hyde Pierce (Fraiser) is in talks to appear in a leading role as well.

The project comes from Chris Keyser who previously created The Society and Party of Five. Keyser will executive produce the show and Daniel Goldfarb (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) will be involved as a writer. THR notes that Keyser is also a key negotiator in the Writer's Guild of America's ongoing struggle with talent agencies over packaging fees (an economic system in television in which studios pay agencies for a "package" of talent and concepts, rather than writers directly). The as of yet untitled Julia Child series began as a package deal in 2018 so it's not subject to the new WGA Code of Conduct in avoiding these kinds of deals.

Though little else is known about the series thus far, the casting of Joan Cusack as the famous chef is shrewd. Both entertainers have endearing presences. Julia Child learned to love cooking, particularly French style cuisine, during her time in France as part of the Women's Army Corps in the U.S. Navy. She trained at the legendary Cordon Bleu cooking school before publishing her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, in 1961. The book was an enormous success and launched a long career in television for Child.

While not quite having a "cooking mussels in Post-WWII Europe" origin story, Cusack has had a successful career in film and television that includes roles in Shameless, High Fidelity, and the Toy Story series (as cowgirl Jessie). This kind of starring role in a TV biopic for a major streaming service is long overdue. Thankfully HBO Max agreed.

The Julia Child series is one of a few in development for HBO Max so far. Also on the docket are original movies from Greg Berlanti and Reese Witherspoon, a Gremlins series, Dune: The Sisterhood, and more.

Alec Bojalad is TV Editor at Den of Geek and TCA member. Read more of his stuff here. Follow him at his creatively-named Twitter handle @alecbojalad

This Killjoys review contains spoilers.

Killjoys Season 5 Episode 8

“How exactly do you plan on turning these violent felons into freedom fighters?”

Let’s be honest; “Don’t Stop Beweaving” probably doesn’t make the list of best Killjoys’ episodes. That said, as usual, there’s still a lot to like about a chapter that flounders a bit with its prison story and then rebounds nicely with Zeph’s homecoming and D’avin’s matchmaking. Though some scenes feel as if they’ve been included merely for effect, despite this minor flaw, Killjoys succeeds because of its richly drawn and wonderfully charismatic characters.

Even though the spectre of war looms in the background, Johnny’s opening musical number underscores the importance of trust earned over time. Yes, it’s a goofy scene played brilliantly by Aaron Ashmore, but the joy Johnny derives dancing around the ship suggests that not only is the team ready for action, but is functioning at its peak. There’s a sense that, like the audience, the team members know their lives as they’ve known them will irrevocably change one way or another in the coming days. These are characters who’ve rarely had the opportunity to consider their own futures and any dreams and desires they might possess, and now understand that this final conflict may be the catalyst that propels them into entirely different lives. It’s both terrifying and exciting.

The Warden’s willingness to assess a situation and then make a decision she understands might come back to haunt her remains a strength not only of her character, but of the prison arc as well. Clearly it’s a risk putting weapons in the hands of dangerous criminals, but what choice does she really have at this point. Despite the seriousness of the situation, watching Johnny and D’avin draft their respective teams for the laser tag team-building exercise injects a bit of humor into a situation that ends up turning deadly. The writers do a solid job misdirecting viewers, but the irony of the killer psychiatrist seems a bit out of place. Still, the practice mission allows several subplots a chance to develop.

Read more: Killjoys Season 5 Episode 7 Review: Cherchez La Bitch

At this point there’s no longer any confusion as to the sincerity of D’avin’s relationship with Dutch, and though the signs have been apparent for some time, they do seem perfect for each other. Still, we’re a bit thrown off when it appears he’s flirting with not only Calvert but the Warden as well. It doesn’t take long to recognize that he really is “asking for a friend,” and though the Warden is clearly the more stable individual, there’s something magnetic about Calvert that makes her so intriguing. In the end, big brother D’avin’s heartfelt concern that Johnny won’t find love again dominates the touching moment that unfolds in a classic Killjoys manner. Proposing the brothers go on a double-date when all of this is over, D’avin merely suggests that Johnny choose between Calvert and the Warden. It’s a great scene, but the feeling that both won’t survive persists.

There’s no question that Zeph comes across as an odd duck from the moment we meet her in “A Skinner, Darkly,” and it’s not only appropriate that we finally learn more about her past but necessary as well. Since the farming community on Leith from which she originates houses the “most comprehensive agropedia in The J,” her reticent return home serves multiple purposes. At this point in the narrative, her insistence that this digital tapestry holds data about The Lady’s race and why it went extinct appears well founded. Of course the image of Zeph and Dutch wearing stark white outfits as they make their way to Zeph’s home offers the first clue to why she fled her family in the first place.

Killjoys interview: Luke Macfarlane on D’avin as a Dad.

The cult-like atmosphere of Zeph’s village and detailed background of the farming community’s initial arrival on the planet add some interesting flavor to the mix, but it’s the appearance of her pitchfork wielding sister Zaia that ends up driving this sequence. Played by Kelly McCormack’s real life sister Hilary McCormack, Zaia exudes a sanctimonious disappointment in her sister’s life choices but also resentment at having been left behind with their domineering mother. Zeph has become such an integral part of the team that cramming her backstory into one episode seems a bit unfair. The pit, her obsessive thirst for knowledge, and the leadership succession plan feel forced, but they do serve to explain Zeph’s career path. Unfortunately, she verbalizes it through the episode’s most cringe worthy piece of dialogue. “The only god I answer to is science.” Yikes.

Khlyen’s actions continue to confound, and it becomes increasingly evident that he may be playing the double agent in a long con designed to crush the alien race The Lady is attempting to resurrect. He’s taken Turin prisoner, the terraforming seems to be working, and the hatchlings have survived for 36 hours outside their box. We could say everything is going according to plan, but the beauty of this aspect of the story is that we still don’t know what Khlyen is up to. He still believes that Yala died in the explosion, and now that The Lady suffers some serious affliction that impacts her body as well as her mind, it’s time to consider the revenge factor in this scenario. Taking Jaq’s body remains her plan, and though Khlyen continues to treat her physical form, it’s clear that time is running out for her. He has a chance to take her out, and as he’s fond of doing, tells her a story that draws out her twisted sense of human love’s intricacies. Is it not enough for him to simply kill her?

And in a well executed call back to the Last Supper allusion before the team goes into war against The Hullen, we’re treated to a smaller, more confident group ready to save their planet. Dutch understands the importance of trust, and Killjoys once again drives home the value of a strong core family. “We have this; she has no one,” Dutch reminds everyone, and before any viewer emotions can rise to the surface, we notice the tee shirts. Zeph’s adorned with the single word BRAIN; Dutch wearing BRAWN. Classic.

Throughout its nearly five full seasons, Killjoys has avoided getting bogged down in romantic relationships designed to appease the shipper contingent that seems to often lose sight of the core narrative. Now that we’ve reached the end, it appears viewers may receive the best of both worlds, and “Don’t Stop Beweaving” sets the table for what looks to be a satisfying conclusion no matter which angle you view. I still like Johnny with the Warden. 

Dave Vitagliano has been writing and podcasting about science fiction television since 2012. You can read more of his work here. He presently hosts the Sci Fi Fidelity podcast.

Droids is a tragically forgotten piece of Star Wars culture. Taking into account that the show has basically been disowned, in part because it’s incredibly dated, this cartoon about two droids wandering around desert planets getting into trouble isn’t likely to get the acclaim it deserves anytime soon. Which is funny. Droids happens to be an influential relic from the younger days of a rapidly growing multimedia franchise that didn’t know what to do with itself.

The fingerprints of this obscure Saturday morning cartoon can be seen in just about everything that followed it, from the novels to the Dark Horse comics, to the prequels and The Force Awakens. Droids isn’t just an animated series that caters to a younger crowd, it’s actually a gateway drug that initiated its audience into the upper echelons of the Star Wars expanded universe. It’s about time humanoids and automatons alike started treating it that way.

A long time ago (1985) in a galaxy that…kind of looked like this one, actually, the Star Wars universe was not yet the enormous place overpopulated with oddly named yet marketable creatures that it is today. Back in those days, the SW experience consisted of the original trilogy films, the toyline, the Marvel comics, a few forgettable tie-in books with awesome looking covers, and that one nutty Christmas special. If you wanted to fully immerse yourself in the Star Wars experience, all you needed were a few tiny action figures, your memories of what happened on the big screen, and those gratuitous clips of TIE fighter battles spliced into the occasional episode of Muppet Babies. Remember those?

Return of the Jedi had already come and gone, and Kenner needed a way to continue making money off of the Star Wars brand. The Power of the Force toyline was a quick cash grab that consisted of already released action figures repackaged with gold coins, and that just wasn't fun. Since there wouldn’t be another feature film to fuel merchandise for another fifteen years, something had to be done to make sure the most profitable media franchise ever stayed profitable for everyone involved. Lucasfilm also needed to keep that easy cash flow going, so what was the win-win here?

Read more - Everything You Need to Know About Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

A Saturday morning cartoon about Star Wars, of course. And it was about damn time. Enter Droids, the animated series chronicling the galactic misadventures of everyone’s favorite artificially intelligent comic relief characters: C-3PO and R2-D2. George Lucas had been developing this show with animation studio Nelvana for a couple years now - along with a sister show, Ewoks - to air on the ABC network. After working on the cartoon short from the notorious holiday special (which introduced us to Boba Fett), Lucas knew he wanted to work with the company again to keep feeding his multi-million dollar baby that was once just a kooky avant-garde film. And so, with ideas of how to construct a universe zooming around in his head like so many X-Wings rushing to poorly guarded exhaust ports, he did.

But after spending less than a decade caught up in the whirlwind of creating a pop culture revolution, Lucas wasn’t keen on his involvement with the series being too “hands on.” Ready to work on other projects like Willow and Labyrinth, he was willing to let others tell new stories about our beloved talking tin cans. Thus, Lucas recruited the likes of Paul Dini, Ken Stephenson, Raymond Jafelice, and Peter Sauder to find creative direction for the first two animated Star Wars series ever.

Although nowhere near as grandiose as today’s animated Star Warsepics like The Clone Wars or Rebels, Droids is fairly high concept for an ‘80s cartoon. Perhaps not as much as its syndicated contemporaries of the time, like Jayce and the Wheeled Warriorsor even ThunderCats, but when compared to the rest of the shows from its sleepy programming block (like reruns of Looney Tunes, Super Friends, and The Littles), Droids was ambitious.

The fundamental concept of the series affected its formula, themes, stories, tone, everything. Because Artoo and Threepio would spend their time wandering around the galaxy in search of new “masters” who have their own quests to undertake, there’s no consistent status quo. This is nothing to bat an eye at these days, but in the simpler time that was the 1980s cartoon golden age, it was jarring. Most of the cartoons from that era had cute good guys arguing with grumpy bad guys against a neon-colored backdrop. (Sorry, Ewoks…) Droids, however, was the antidote to this. 

Further Reading: Star Wars Movie and TV Release Date Calendar

What about Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie? Sorry, clone cadets. Those crazy kids weren’t invited to this party. Droids takes place in the years between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, the “Rise of the Empire” era - or it’s supposed to anyway. As it’s not canon anymore (thanks to Darth Mouse), I don’t know what to make of it. Fortunately enough, Anthony Daniels agreed to return and lend his vocal cords to the soundscape of the cartoon, alongside a theme song by The Police’s Stewart Copeland that was set the tone of the series quite well, despite its contemporary sound.

So what if the show had to fill a Skywalker shaped void every so often? It was still fascinating to see what crazy stuff RD-D2 and C-3PO got into next. Droids was designed to be an adventure serial in the purest sense of the term, and the show finally gave fans the freedom to explore the Star Wars universe after spending years imagining what the rest of it looked like.

And yet, despite having a lot of very exciting concepts going for it, the actual experience of watching Droids was frequently more monotonous and oddly sad than I expected. I mean, watching C-3PO be whored out during a slave auction and later forced to clean up bantha shit while everyone else is asleep isn’t the most uplifting material to eat your Corn Pops to.

It could have been a lot worse, though. Artoo and Threepio actually did manage to find employment by quite a few generous masters over the show’s run, even if they weren’t what we would call “memorable” or “of importance” - or hell, even “three dimensional.” Each one of them gives us good vibes, but that doesn’t stop them from being knock-off versions of better characters from the Original Trilogy. Sure, they look different in visual design, but they share the same gallantly rebellious streak that it’s hard not to draw comparisons. There was at least one moment in each of the thirteen episodes in which I stopped and thought, ”Uh huh, great, but how friggin’ awesome would it be if Luke and Leia were here instead of Bekky Tooshbottom and Wenis Lampo?”

Okay, so those aren't actual character names from Droids. No, the real ones were much more forgettable than that. Trust me. But they were nice people who always treated their slaves... uh, I mean, robots...er, I mean, droids well.

read more: Star Wars Streaming Guide

Also, each “master” had their quests, too, which motivated them enough to have character arcs of their very own. Gasp! That’s nothing short of a miracle for the very sugary, very un-serialized climate of mid-’80s Saturday morning TV.

Droids covered a ton of ground for a TV show that ran for only one brief season of just thirteen episodes. By the time I finished watching all of it, I felt as if I had watched the equivalent of maybe double that - in a good way. Its singular season is broken up into three major story arcs or “cycles” that center on three separate groups of masters. Each cycle is made up of three to four different standalone episodes that are chapters in their respective storylines. Whew. Need a minute?

Let's talk about each of these story cycles one by one.

THE FIRST STORY ARC (Episodes 1-4)

The initial story cycle of Droids kicks off at a strong pace, burning through the first four episodes in no time. Our little orphan droids get adopted by a couple of speeder bike racers named Jord Dusat and Thall Joben on a desert planet. The gang later joins forces with a Rebel Spy named Kea Moll (aka diet Princess Leia) to stop the evil Fromm gang from using a weapons satellite called the Trigon One. After they prevent the evildoers from...whatever they were going to do with that, our temporary team of heroes wind up being targeted by Boba Fett in a high stakes speeder race, thanks to the relentlessness of those pesky Fromms. (Damn you, Tiggy Fromm!)

First of all, speeder bikes? How RotJ is that? Second of all, a desert planet? This is basically remaking A New Hopebefore The Force Awakensdid. Well, not exactly. The conflict that plays out between the, um, speed biker gang and the Fromms may have dire consequences for the galaxy, but it’s nothing as impactful as blowing up five planets. Since this story arc introduced smaller scale storytelling in the Star Wars universe, it was now okay for all characters to act more like humans and less like archetypal embodiments of cosmic forces. Or something.

Let’s talk about those Fromms. As Star Wars bad guys go, the Fromm gang is more on the Jabba the Hutt end of the spectrum than the imposing Empire side. In other words, they're not that threatening. The leader Tiggy (or Tig, as he prefers to be called) is on the whiny side. And he has daddy issues. But these traits are what made him so unique when compared with the rest of the Droidsrogue gallery, and might be why he still has weird fan art made about him to this day.

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As heroes go, Thall Joban and Jord Dusat are nice dudes. They’re the kind of peripheral characters who seem intriguing when you catch a glance of them walking around in the background of a scene on Tatooine or something. But when you actually spend time with them? Not as interesting as you’d hoped they’d be. Indeed, they take both the droids and us on a decent adventure that feels Star Wars-y enough, but there's an aggravating vacuum where their personalities should be. Yes, they’ve got character traits and edgy hairstyles and a landspeeder mysteriously named The White Witch. But what do they have inside? What defines Thall Joban? How is he different from everyone else in Star Wars? Why is he someone we can trust? We don’t really know, as he and his colleagues suffer from classic Saturday morning superficiality syndrome. But that comes with the territory here. 

THE SECOND STORY ARC (Episodes 5-9)

In the second story cycle, C-3PO and R2-D2 are rescued along with a mysterious android from a slave auction on Tyne’s Horky (yes, another desert planet with another f**ked up name) by a young miner named Jann Tosh. After taking them back home and introducing them to his Yosemite Sam-in-space uncle Putch Gundarian, Tosh and the boys are shocked to discover that the nameless android is, in fact, Mon Jalupa, the missing prince of Tammuz-an in disguise. This revelation sets off a chain of events that take up the next five consecutive episodes, each one expanding the Star Wars universe significantly more than the last. Talk about world building. I can’t imagine how kids felt back when this was airing.

This follow-up arc improved greatly on the last. The first cycle is a classic in its own right, but the second is more engaging to watch as its plot kept evolving, and the stakes kept getting higher. Plus, it involved the Rebellion, and we're all familiar with that crowd. It conjured up the same New Hope iconography, again much like The Force Awakens, to good effect.

Speaking of which, this cycle also has something else in common with Episode VII: its main villain basically has the same name as Kylo Ren except for one tiny letter. 

KYBO REN.

Look, Kybo Ren and Kylo Ren are nothing alike whatsoever. I’m not suggesting that they share any characteristics - at all. They’re like granny smith apples and blood oranges: you can’t compare them, they taste so different, and one is more plump and juicy than the other. I'm just asking, why are their names so similar?

Was J.J. Abrams sitting around in the writer’s retreat at Skywalker Ranch, being all, “Nah, forget about calling him Jedi Killer. Let's name him after that one fat guy from Droids. You know who I'm talking about. The Genghis Kahn looking one. Remember him? I loved that show, man. Can you make him look like Darth Revan, though? Knights of the Old Republicwas so dope. Thanks.”

Either way, Kybo Ren (or Gir Kybo Ren-Cha) was a space pirate that, like the Fromm gang before him, was made from the same villainous, yet slimy cloth as Jabba the Hutt. He’s another one of those dastardly underworld criminals with no redeeming value whatsoever, yet plenty of resources at his disposal. On paper, he sounds bad to the bone, but in action? He’s basically the type of silly bad guy you’d see on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. As such, I had a hard time taking the overweight stereotypical Asian man with the ridiculous Fu Manchu mustache seriously. His pirate crew? Sad to say, I don’t remember them much, despite having just marathoned this show recently. Hmm. That says a lot.

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As “masters” go, Jann Tosh was pretty decent, as was Jessica Meade, the adventurous freighter pilot who has my vote for weirdest Star Wars name ever. She was basically a cross between Han Solo and Princess Leia. Meanwhile, Jann was somewhere in the middle of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. That's the only way to accurately describe these characters, since 1.) we couldn’t focus on them for long and 2.) they’re ‘80s cartoons, so they’re not that captivating. One defining characteristic of Jann that I can be certain of, is that he didn’t like wearing any undershirts.

THE THIRD STORY ARC (Episodes 10-13)

The third and final story cycle just might be Droids’ best. It introduced us to the droids’ favorite master of all time: Mungo Baobab. I think it’s because he has the most fun name to say out of anyone on the show. I mean, it’s fun to say even in your own head. Repeat it to yourself for 30 seconds. I dare you not to smile.

Mungo is a galaxy class merchant whose family runs the infamous Baobab Merchant Fleet. Throughout the final four episodes of the series, Mungo drags Artoo and Threepio along with him on his quest to find a trade route to the Roon System in order to acquire more Roonstones, which apparently were hot sh*t. Also, doesn't he kind of look like Jesus to you? 

After successfully traversing the Cloak of the Sith and outsmarting the Empire’s troops, Mungo was able to find passage to the Roon System with R2-D2 and C-3PO’s help. But once there, his search for the source of the Roonstones was constantly interrupted by General Koong and his Storm Troopers. As he continued his borderline obsessive search for the Roonstones, Mungo questions whether or not his treasure hunt is really even worth it, making important realizations about what truly matters in life in the process. (Or something.)

The final chapter of the show was the most ambitious of all, outdoing even the ambitious scope of Jann’s arc managed to accomplish. This is the point where the show came to life and started hitting its stride. If Droids had continued on for a second season, surely it wouldn’t have been a bad idea if Mr. Baobab stuck around for at least another arc or two. As a protagonist, Mungo’s character served as the nice grounding presence the show needed, a real swashbuckler. He was a high ranking businessman whose code of honor and civic responsibility didn’t clash with his adventurous spirit and felt more like a leader you could look up to than the younger misfits from before. Bottom line here is, Mungo Baobab had his sh*t together.

read more: 10 Darth Maul Facts You Might Not Know

Another reason why this last story cycle was so great? It had a villain with a familiar face: the Empire itself. General Koong is the best bad guy out of the whole series, period. If Ranier Wolfcastle and Dolph Lundgren had a lovechild that suffered third-degree burns and was given cyborg reconstitution to survive, I figure he’d look a lot like Koong. How can you go wrong with a villain like him? I know his Storm Troopers used laser rods instead of guns to blast our heroes, but that’s nothing big. Blame ABC’s Standards & Practices for that, not Lucasfilm.

THE TV SPECIAL

After the thirteenth and final episode aired in November of 1985, the Droids saga was suddenly over. There was an hour-long animated special called “The Great Heep” which was supposed to air for the holidays a month later in December, but for some curious reason, it was pushed back until June of the following year. When it did finally air in the summer of ‘86, it got the lowest ratings of that week, not to mention the lowest ratings out of any TV special that aired that season. Ouch.

This decision fries my circuit boards. “The Great Heep” is probably the best segment that came out of the Droids television series for a couple of reasons. One, its extended running time gives it the luxury of moving along at a much better pace. You don’t get bored and nothing feels rushed like it did week-to-week. The second is that "Heep" focuses directly on droid culture. In every single episode of the show, Artoo and Threepio are doing what they do best - tagging along with humans and doing cute stuff to provide comic relief amongst all the hard sci-fi action that’s going on around them. In “Heep” they get to interact with other droids more than they usually do, which is something I wish we got to see in the episodes proper. (It was called Droids, was it not?)

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In the special, R2-D2 and C-3PO travel to a planet called Biitu to rendezvous with Mungo, but they don’t know that he’s been imprisoned by a gigantic droid who goes by the name of The Great Heep. Heep also captures the two droids and forces C-3PO to be part of his, um, lube crew while pampering Artoo by putting the little cutie in his droid harem. There, Artoo meets KT-10, his first and only love interest (okay, so that may be debatable.) But that’s what Heep does to all of the R2 units before he eats them to survive…

This special hits emotional beats that any self-respecting animated feature film would, including splitting up our heroes and giving us a fake-out death moment. Why was this special never given a wide home video release in the U.S., Lucasfilm?! Seriously, it’s like they think it’s as bad as the Holiday Special or something. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I mean, yeah, it is kind of weird in that it introduces us to the concept of Droid harems, and that Fidge kid and his pet Chubb were kind of annoying. But come on! There are way worse things that have been released under the Star Warsbrand since then and you know it.

THE COMICS

While Droids was trying to force kids to appreciate its lofty quirks on the airwaves with perpetual reruns, the series branched out into other forms of media. From ‘86-87, Star Comics (the shortlived Marvel imprint that published mostly cartoon tie-ins for a younger audience) ran a monthly series based on Droids. Because it was built on the same premise as the TV show, there were no set “masters” featured throughout its entire run. Each issue revolved around Artoo and Threepio being tossed around between little cartoony brats and aliens that were very un-Star Wars like in appearance.

read more: Star Wars Timeline Explained

Marvel pulled some crazy shit during their original Star Wars run, but at least they ran wild with creative freedom. Droids was based on an animated TV series with a very distinct visual style that wasn’t seen in the panels of the comics whatsoever. It was like the droids were stuck in some demented cartoon candy land and could never escape their cutesy tormentors, which winds up being more unintentionally disturbing than the show ever was.

At one point, there was an Ewokscrossover published, and no, it’s definitely not canon. I haven’t seen any of the Ewoks series at this point, so I can’t confirm that it’s in line with the tone or spirit of that cartoon at all. What I can tell you, however, is that its plot is pretty friggin’ bizarre.

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Artoo and Threepio find themselves on a diplomatic mission to the planet Sooma, which appears to be populated by bad guys ripped straight out of an old Hanna-Barbera cartoon. There they get tricked into delivering an incredibly irritating amphibious child named Prince Plooz back to his home planet when they get attacked by his father’s space fleet. As they try to escape using the hyperdrive, they inadvertently blast themselves into a hole in space and somehow end up 100 years into the future (?) on Endor, searching for the little brat who jumped out in an escape pod. Of course, they run into those fuzzy wuzzy little indigenous teddy bears, who think Plooz is something called a Star Child. Nothing really exciting happens, save for a ginormous boulder that almost fall on our heroes, which R2-D2 stopped somehow. It's not important.

For the final three issues, Star Comics got all greedy and released an adaptation of A New Hope from the point of view of the titular droids. There’s not much to report from this retelling except that there are completely dumb moments that were shoehorned into the story for no reason at all except because it would be “cute.” Case in point: did you know that after they landed on Tatooine, the droids immediately ran into an underground kingdom of mole creatures? Well, according to issue six, they did. Outside of that...uh...they didn’t do much else except get into trouble with Stormtroopers. By the time the final issue rolls around, you’re pretty much just reading yet another comic adaptation of Episode IV, with hardly any extra details added. Gotta admit, those covers looked sweet anyway.

THE TOYS

The Droids toyline was a godsend for Kenner...or so it seemed. When most of the new merchandise didn't sell as well as they'd hoped, a few of the action figures you see above were held back for a second wave that never actually got released. Mungo Baobab is on that list, as is General Koong. Sadly, '80s kids everywhere were deprived of having an action figure of Space Jesus or Cyber Dolph Lundgren to call their own. This was an injustice to nobody at the time, but it makes the most obsessive collectors of today shed a tear.

And who the Force is this "Pilot" dude? Unless I'm missing something, he was not in the show. According to this video, he may have been lifted from their other toyline, just like the A-Wing itself. Speaking of the A-Wing: that's most certainly the centerpiece here, as it made electronic noises, and kids love those. It was met the general expectation of a StarWars toy, unlike the cartoony action figures that didn't match the Star Wars brand (at the time.) 

read more: 50 Best Star Wars Alien Races

The C-3PO and R2-D2 figures were repaints from previous Star Wars toy collections, so they weren't anything people wanted at the time. Nowadays, you'll find Droids R2-D2 figurines going for $500 and up on eBay. Even the Boba Fetts - that are also still in their packaging and much cooler - go for way less. What gives? The line even boasts the rarest Star Wars figure of all time, which you can read more about right here.

Now that I’ve blasted through the entirety of the Droids animated series as an adult, I think what I can say I appreciate the most about the show is its visual style. Droidswas the kid-friendly answer to Heavy Metal magazine. Even if it settled for being cutesy at times, it still maintained a strong cyberpunk aesthetic, which elevated the program from being “just another Saturday morning cartoon” to being a fantasy sci-fi trip that anyone who liked Star Wars could enjoy. This is something else that made Droids feel so ahead of its time. It wasn’t just there to be cute and fuzzy like its sister show. It was an ambitious creative laboratory in which Lucas and his team practiced world building.

But let’s be honest: back in 1985, cute and fuzzy is what sold toys to kids and got them to tune in. That could be why Droids didn’t last as long as Ewoksdid. Ewoks was emotional and cuddly and spoke directly to that Smurf-y demographic, which was huge at the time. Droids was complex and clinical, much like the Prequel Trilogy would be years later. But at least it had a beating heart.

You should follow Stephen on Twitter @OnlyWriterEver. He'll follow you back. Also, check out his blog and his secret Power Ranger tumblr, too. Read more of his work here.

Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and the other streaming services will gain a powerful new rival soon.

The streaming product, called Disney+, is launching by the end of 2019. The new service is set to come complete with customizable settings and profiles - so you can make your own avatar using Disney characters - and it will be full to the brim with movies and TV shows currently under the Mouse House umbrella. Going somewhere with rocky Wi-Fi? No worries, you’ll be able to download and watch the library offline.

And what a library it will include. Here is everything we know about Disney+, including its launch date, price, and all the shows and movies that it will feature. You can find even fuller details about Disney+'s features here.

Disney+ Launch Date

Disney’s forthcoming streaming service has lined up a U.S. launch date of November 12, with the promise that it’ll be ready for a worldwide rollout within the next two years.

Disney+ Price

Disney+ is going to arrive with the appealing options of $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year. Like all streaming services, those prices may swell in the future but for now that's a pretty competitive deal. 

Disney+ Trailer

Here is a helpful primer from Disney as to what this whole Disney+ thing is all about.

Marvel Movies and Shows on Disney+

Along with all the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies (Captain Marvelhas been confirmed to be available from day one) Disney+ will likely eventually bring us a good chunk of Fox’s Marvel titles. 

further reading - Marvel Cinematic Universe: The New Characters of MCU Phase 4

There are also these marvel-lous upcoming TV series, eyed to tie into the MCU...

Ms. Marvel

The latest announced entry to Marvel's Disney+ offeringss is the fittingly titled Ms. Marvel. This live action Ms. Marvel will follow the Kamala Khan incarnation of the beloved character and will be run by Bisha K. Ali. There is no release date announced yet. 

Who is Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel exactly? We broke that down for you here.

Read more about Ms. Marvel.

She-Hulk

Finally! She-Hulk will be making her big, green Marvel debut. Disney made the announcement at their D23 Expo. There are no details currently available other than the fact that She-Hulk will, in fact, be Jennifer Walters and will have her usual job as lawyer. 

She-Hulk has been an integral part of the Marvel comic universe for a long time and her MCU introduction is long overdue.

Read more about She-Hulk here.

Moon Knight

Moon Knight is exactly the kind of fringe Marvel character who would do well on Disney+. And sure enough, he's being added! Moon Knight is former CIA agent Marc Spector, who is killed by a terrorist and revived by the Moon God. Nothing else is known about the series at this time but it will be nice to have ol' Moonie involved.

And suffice it to say: Marc Spears has quite the complicated Marvel history.

Read more about Moon Knight.

Loki

Marvel’s favorite trickster will back for his own limited series on the platform from Rick and Morty writer Michael Waldron, with Tom Hiddleston confirmed to return as Loki. At Disney's D3 Expo event, Marvel head Kevin Feige confirmed what we all suspected: this Loki will be the Loki of Avengers: Endgamewho went off on his own time-hopping adventure with the Tesseract. 

We’ll update you when we have more info, but as the Loki series was the first to be announced, it’ll probably be the first MCU-linked show on Disney+.

Read more about Loki.

WandaVision

Jac Schaeffer (who worked on the Captain Marvel screenplay) has been hired to shepherd a Vision and Scarlet Witch TV series onto Disney+. WandaVision will take advantage of The MCU's newfound discovery of alternate timelines and depict a world in which Vision and Wanda are happily married. Kat Dennings will reprise her MCU role and Kathryn Hahn will join the cast as a nosey next door neighbor.

Read more about WandaVision here.

The Falcon and Winter Soldier

Empire’s Malcolm Spellman is writing a Falcon and Winter Soldier limited series. The big budget spin-off show will star Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes and Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, naturally. It would be great if this one had an Ed Brubaker vibe, wouldn’t it?

Read more about The Falcon and The Winter Soldier here.

Hawkeye

Jeremy Renner will return as Clint Barton to pass the Hawkeye mantle onto Kate Bishop, one of Marvel's most popular Young Avengers characters. This will absolutely be one to watch, as Renner will finally get some decent screen time to show us a little more of what Clint’s about and what he’s been through - before he retires gracefully, we assume – all while introducing us to the extremely badass Bishop!

Read more about Hawkeye here.

On the animated/documentary side, Marvel's What If...?, Marvel's 616, and Marvel's Hero Project are all in the pipeline, too.

Additionally, Avengers: Endgame will call Disney+ its exclusive home starting on December 11.

Star Wars Movies and Shows on Disney+

The full Star Wars back catalogue will be up on Disney+ in the first year, and these are the TV series also in the works:

The Mandalorian

Release Date: November 12

Arriving upon launch, the first ever live-action Star Wars series is sounding terrific. Original MCU puppet master Jon Favreau is the showrunner on The Mandalorian, and episode directors include Thor: Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi and Dave Filoni (Star Wars Rebels).

The Mandalorianwill take place seven years after the events of Return of the Jedi, setting up the series as a bridge between the original and sequel trilogies. Game of Thrones’ Pedro Pascal will star here as “a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the new republic” and joining him in the cast are Gina Carano and Werner Herzog, among others.

Read more about The Mandalorian here.

Cassian Andor Prequel Series

Rebel Spy Cassian Andor bought the farm in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but that’s not the end of his story! Well, it is technically the end, but he’ll be back in a prequel series that will follow his adventures during the early days of the Rebellion. Cassian’s memorable droid K-2SO will be along for the ride, voiced by the lovable Alan Tudyk once again.

"The rousing spy thriller will explore tales filled with espionage and daring missions to restore hope to a galaxy in the grip of a ruthless Empire," promises the official Star Warswebsite.

Sounds pretty good!

Read more about the Cassian Andor Series here.

Obi-Wan Kenobi Series

It's real! Really! Long a Star Wars prequel fan pipe dream, a continuation of the Obi-Wan Kenobi story with Ewan McGregor starring is actually happening. Lucasfilm made it official during the Star Wars appearance at the D23 expo.

Nothing is known about this Obi-Wan Kenobi series including the title or when it will premiere. But it will have Ewan McGregor and Obi-Wan Kenobi and that's enough.

Read more about Obi-Wan Kenobi series here.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars<

Fan favorite animated series The Clone Wars ended prematurely after six great seasons a while back, and though a few episodes were later released as “lost missions” the story was far from over. Luckily, creator Dave Filoni will now get a chance to complete the saga on Disney+.

Read more about The Clone Wars Season 7 here.

Pixar Movies and Shows on Disney+

You’ll be able to watch all the Pixar shorts right away on Disney+, with the Pixar film catalogue being promised to stream within the first year. But there's more...

Monsters At Work

Disney is planning a Monsters, Inc. TV series with the original voice cast returning. That means the dulcet tones of Billy Crystal and John Goodman, alongside new addition Ben Feldman playing Tylor Tuskmon, a mechanic at Monsters, Inc. who is desperate to join the Laughter Floor team. They were previously harvesting children's screams instead of their laughter to power the city of Monstropolis six months ago - yes, this takes place fairly soon after the events of the first movie, and it’s not a prequel like Monsters University. Yay!

Forky Asks a Question

By all appearances, Forky Asks a Question is exactly what it sounds like. Tony Hale's beloved Forky character from Toy Story 4 will...ask a question. The footage shown at Disney's D23 expo included Forky asking Ham what money is.

Also coming to Disney+ is a Pixar project known as Lamp Life.

New Disney Movies

Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader will be starring in Christmas-themed moive Noelle. That will be available right when Disney+ launches.

In terms of new Disney movies getting the exclusive streaming treatment on Disney+, we’ve got Timmy Failure, directed by Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), Willem Dafoe’s ‘Alaskan sled dog adventure’, Togo [wait – Willem Dafoe and sled dogs? – this just shot to the top of our list], a live-action version of Lady and the Tramp, remakes of Sword in the Stone, Three Men and a Baby, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids and Father of the Bride, a big Stargirl film, and aPaper Magician movie.

There’s also a brand-new Phineas and Ferb film coming, featuring the original voice cast. Get ready for Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against Universe.

New Disney Series

Lizzie McGuire

Don't worry, classic Disney Channel fans, Disney+ has something in store for you as well. Hillary Duff will be starring in a Lizzie McGuire sequel series for Disney+. The news comes from Deadline. Original creator Terri Minsky will run the show.

The Muppets

Yep, The Muppets are being rebooted again. Disney already tried it once at ABC in 2016, but that show only lasted one season and got a critical drubbing, so it’s time to take another run at it!

Secret Society of Second Born

Coming from the people behind Gossip Girl, The Bold Type and, er, Predators, Secret Society of Second Born follows a 15- year-old girl who just so happens to be second in line to the throne. Sent to a summer school which she initially believes is run-of-the-mill, she later finds out it’s a training camp for second born royals with superpowers. Could be good!

Book of Enchantment

Code Black mastermind Michael Seitzman is writing a Disney villains series for Disney+, adapting Serena Valentino’s bestselling book series. It’ll have a kinda revisionist outlook, focusing on classic Disney baddies such as Ursula (The Little Mermaid), Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty), the evil queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and the Beast from Beauty and the Beast. Wait, he's not a baddie! Is he? Not really, no. Ah, well.

Diary of a Female President

This new series comes from the pen of a staff writer from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Ilana Peña). 10 half-hour episodes of this are winging their way to Disney+, and the story centres on a 12-year old Cuban-American girl on her journey to becoming the future president of the United States.

Love, Simon

A Love, Simon TV series is “being explored” for Disney+. It’s unclear whether it’ll have any connection to the beloved teen rom-com’s film version, but director Greg Berlanti will not be returning as he’s in a deal with Warner Bros, so This Is Us showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger are currently considering

Love, Simon revolves around a closeted high school teen who falls in love online with an unknown classmate, and what happens when he begins investigating who it might be.

Disney has also proposed an Escape to Witch Mountain series, a Sandlot series, a new High School Musical series, a reality show called Encore!, Be Our Guest - a cooking show - and a craft series called Shop Class.

Mergers And Acquisitions

Not to get too Patrick Bateman on ya, but 2019 has also been about a certain merger and acquisition for Disney, too. The recent buyout of Fox means that loads of lovely Fox content will be available on Disney+. Wonderful.

Fox TV

If you’re missingMalcolm in the Middle (or you have yet to experience the joy that is Malcolm in the Middle) it’s been announced that it’ll have a home on Disney+, as will all 30 seasons of The Simpsons. Blimey!

Fox Movies

Disney has stated that none of the more adult Fox titles will appear on the service, so you may not find the Deadpoolmovies at your fingertips, however, more family-friendly stuff like The Sound of Music and The Princess Bride will be there.

Drew Goddard

The man behind Marvel’s Daredevil on Netflix was the first big signing at Fox TV under Disney. He’s agreed to develop a range of new TV content, some of which may end up on Disney+. We’ll keep a close eye on any announcements for you, although whether we’ll see Daredevilitself - or any of Netflix’s other Marvel shows for that matter - back up and running, is rather up in the air at the moment.

Other Movies and Shows

Over 250 hours of National Geographic content will be included in the launch including acclaimed doc Free Solo and The World According to Jeff Goldblum. If we know you as well as we think we do, that last one will raise an eyebrow.

Last, but not least, a behind the scenes documentary about the making of Frozen 2 is coming to Disney+, alongside loads of other interesting docs.

Here is the full list of existing films and TV series that is coming to Disney+ as well, courtesy of Variety.

Films

101 Dalmatians

A Bug’s Life

A Goofy Movie

An Extremely Goofy Movie

Bambi

Bao

Big Hero 6

Born in China

Cars

Fantasia

Finding Dory

Finding Nemo

Free Solo

Frozen

Fun and Fancy Free

Hercules

High School Musical

Honey I Shrunk the Kids

Inside Out

Iron Man

Lady and the Tramp

Lilo & Stitch

Mary Poppins

Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas

Moana

Monsters University

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Pixar Short Films Collection Vol 1

Ratatouille

Remember the Titans

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Sleeping Beauty

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope

Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (animated series)

Steamboat Willie

The Good Dinosaur

The Incredibles

The Little Mermaid

The Parent Trap (1961)

The Prince & The Pauper (1990)

The Princess Diaries

The Rocketeer

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (short)

The Sword in the Stone

The Three Caballeros

Thor: The Dark World

Toy Story

Tron (1982)

Up

Wall-E

Zootopia

Television Series

Amazing Planet

Andi Mack (seasons one-three)

Boy Meets World

Brain Games

Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan

Dr. K’s Exotic Animals

Dr. Oakley Yukon Vet

Drain the Ocean

DuckTales (1987)

DuckTales (2016, season one)

Earth Live

Goof Troop

Great Migrations

Howie Mandel’s Animals Doing Things

Kim Possible

Malcolm in the Middle

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (animated series)

Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man (animated series)

Mickey and the Roadster Racers (seasons one and two)

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Mickey Mouse Shorts

One Strange Rock

Raven’s Home

Rocky Mountain Animal Rescue

Star Wars Rebels

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (series)

That’s So Raven

The Incredible Dr. Pol

The Simpsons

Unlikely Animal Friends

Wicked Tuna

Phew! Is that enough to tempt you…?

Alec Bojalad is TV Editor at Den of Geek and TCA member. Read more of his stuff here. Follow him at his creatively-named Twitter handle @alecbojalad

USA Network was never known for having the sort of prestige dramas that cable networks like FX and AMC have routinely produced, but after the success of idiosyncratic psychological thriller Mr. Robot and anthology mystery series The Sinner, that perception is starting to change. Briarpatch, the new drama series adapted from Ross Thomas’ crime/mystery novel of the same name and executive produced by Robot’s Sam Esmail, could be the new breakout hit that cements the NBCUniversal sister network as serious players in the ever-expanding TV content wars.

Created by writer and pop culture commentator Andy Greenwald, Briarpatch feels like a TV obsessive’s Platonic ideal of a Peak TV drama, and that’s probably because it is. Reviewing TV for sites like Grantland, Greenwald routinely took a magnifying glass to the decade’s finest programs, such as Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Game of Thrones, becoming an authority on how and why these series were so successful, both narratively and with audiences. Here, the student has become the master. The pilot of Briarpatch is so strong and engrossing that it was invited to be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival alongside the fall’s most anticipated, award-chasing films.

Briarpatch centers on Allegra Dill, played by Rosario Dawson (wisely gender-swapped from the novel), a steely political fixer brought back to her small, corrupt hometown after the death of her sister Felicity, a policewoman. Suspiciously, Felicity took out a hefty life insurance policy three weeks before her death, and she was harboring other wealth that suggested she was on the take. Though Allegra’s return is unfortunate, it’s serendipitous; Allegra also needs to depose an old friend who has valuable information on a wanted gun runner. Allegra’s boss, a Texas Senator, is hoping to take down the wanted man to legitimize his presidential aspirations. Allegra attempts to do her boss’ dirty work while investigating the suspicious circumstances of her sister’s death, all while escaped animals from the local zoo run amok around her. Wild stuff. 

read more: Mr. Robot Season 4 Release Date, Trailer, Cast, News, and More

In Greenwald’s work as a critic, he always placed special emphasis on character building, and now that he’s on the other side of this industry, his priorities haven’t changed. San Bonifacio, the fictional Texas border town that serves as our setting, is teeming with colorful, memorable characters. You can sense that each person that enters the frame on Briarpatch has a wealth of history and personal ticks, from the main characters down to the fleeting extras. San Bonifacio instantly feels alive in the same way that famous TV towns like Twin Peaks, Pawnee, and Springfield do because such detail has been paid to its townspeople. 

Dawson has always been a compelling screen presence and she’s electric here. Allegra is no-nonsense and wryly sarcastic, clearly less than thrilled to be back in her old stomping grounds. It’s also clear that her tough exterior is a product of necessity. Besides dealing with the painful loss of her sister, a tragic backstory is hinted at, and Dawson carries that weight on her shoulders even when she’s confidently strutting in a fierce white pant suit. Plus, she delivers Bogart-worthy detective dialogue just as smoothly as post-modern genre-skewering jokes.

The other clear standout is Mad Men alum Jay R. Ferguson, rescued from network sitcom hell and finally given some work worthy of his talents. He plays Jacob Spivey, a rich good ol’boy with nefarious connections and a complicated history with Allegra. From the minute he and Dawson share the screen, their chemistry crackles and pops like an M80. Ferguson is clearly having a blast here and Spivey feels like an instant career-defining role for the actor. No one will be missing Stan Rizzo once they see our man dancing around his neon-lit, opulent mansion. 

Briarpatch threads the needle so deftly between quirky ensemble dramedy and pot-boiler mystery. One minute you’ll be laughing at the specificity of one of its eccentric Southern characters, the next you’ll feel the danger and seediness that’s lurking just off-screen. On top of that, the entire thing looks gorgeous. Director Ana Lily Amirpour makes you feel the hazy heat in her tight close-ups and highlights San Bonifaco’s empty storefronts with some well-timed wide shots. Also, her use of color makes the neon lights shine like diamonds. 

After two episodes, everyone and anyone feels like a suspect in Felicity’s murder, and I already feel both attached, yet suspicious enough of all of these interesting characters to be looking forward to the show’s 2020 premiere. If Briarpatch can keep this tone balanced and the temperature up without getting lost in the thick of it, this could be the show everyone is talking about in 2020.

Read and download the Den of Geek SDCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Nick Harley is a tortured Cleveland sports fan, thinks Douglas Sirk would have made a killer Batman movie, Spider-Man should be a big-budget HBO series, and Wes Anderson and Paul Thomas Anderson should direct a script written by one another. For more thoughts like these, read Nick's work here at Den of Geek or follow him on Twitter.

Carnival Row takes Amazon Prime Video to new territory as the tale of an oppressed race of faeries living among disdainful humans in a world reminiscent of Victorian England explores a mashup of steampunk, fantasy, and allegory. The series stars Orlando Bloom as the police inspector, Rycroft “Philo” Philostrate, and Cara Delevingne as the headstrong pixie, Vignette Stonemoss. Several mysteries unfold as a series of murders and the supposed kidnapping of the Chancellor’s son intertwine in unexpected ways.

Our Sci Fi Fidelity podcast hosts tackle the first two episodes of Carnival Row in a spoiler-free fashion, but for those who have watched the entire eight-episode run, the Spoiler Zone towards the end of the podcast has some overall impressions to share. Since Carnival Row season 2 has already been assured, there are plenty of things to speculate about given how open-ended the finale episode was.

further reading: Carnival Row: Breaking Down the Epic Worldbuilding

Be sure to subscribe to Sci Fi Fidelity so that you never miss an episode! Each week we review a currently airing show, discuss a topic of interest to genre television, or interview someone from behind the scenes of our favorite series. Find us in your podcast app of choice or simply listen below!

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Acast | RSS

Michael Ahr is a writer, reviewer, and podcaster here at Den of Geek; you can check out his work here or follow him on Twitter (@mikescifi). Dave Vitagliano has been writing and podcasting about science fiction television since 2012. You can read more of his work here.

When the first episode of a new series called Star Trek aired on NBC-TV on September 8, 1966 (it had run two days earlier, on September 6, in Canada), it changed the course of both television and sci-fi history forever.

But while the characters and settings of that show — Captain Kirk, First Officer Spock, the U.S.S. Enterprise, etc. — are as familiar to us now as any other pop culture icons, creator Gene Roddenberry's initial concept featured a different array of names, places and potential storylines — some of which did eventually make it into the final show in vastly altered shapes...

Roddenberry had been developing the basic idea for Star Trekas far back as 1960, but it wasn’t until 1963 that he began to put some of the concepts into concrete form. Roddenberry was producing his first series at the time (The Lieutenant, for MGM) and told the studio about his idea for a new sci-fi series. Although MGM ultimately passed, Roddenberry did write a treatment that provided the springboard for him to further flesh out the idea of this space adventure.

Roddenberry kept pitching his series to other production companies, using a document now popularly called "Star Trek is…" as his template. Written on March 11, 1964, "Star Trek is…" spells out characters, the name of the vessel, the show's basic themes, some production requirements, and even a short list of ideas for potential episodes. It is here where we can see the roots of Star Trek as we know it take hold.

This brief written proposal was the basis of all that would follow over the five decades since. And it all started with Desilu Productions — and a forward-thinking exec named Herb Solow — giving Roddenberry a production deal to develop his show in April of 1964. How much of that first proposal changed and/or made it to the screen by the time premiere episode "The Man Trap" aired that first week of September 1966? Let’s take a look at some of the major elements...

The Ship: from the U.S.S. Yorktown to the U.S.S. Enterprise

The space-faring vessel in Roddenberry's original pitch was called the U.S.S. Yorktown, a name that goes as far back as 1839 in the United States Navy. Roddenberry's 23^rd century version was described as a 190,000-ton "cruiser class" ship, capable of traveling .73 light years per hour and manned by a crew of 203.

read more: Everything You Need to Know About Star Trek: Discovery Season 3

As the show progressed closer to production, some of those figures changed: the crew complement expanded to more than double the original number (around 430, give or take a couple), while the craft itself was enlarged to a Constitution or "heavy cruiser"/starship class, able to travel at multiple "warps" that took it well past the speed of light. And, of course, the name Yorktown was changed to Enterprise — although ships called the Yorktown were part of Trek shows for years after that (and, most recently, appeared as a starbase in Star Trek Beyond).

The Captain: from Robert M. April to James T. Kirk

Roddenberry’s first captain of the Yorktown was named Robert M. April, described by the producer as "lean and capable both mentally and physically" and a "colorfully complex personality … capable of action and decision which can verge on the heroic." Yet Roddenberry's commanding officer was also fighting "a continual battle with self-doubt and the loneliness of command."

read more: Star Trek Timeline Explained

It’s interesting to note that, while April didn't make it to the original series, he is officially in the canon as the Enterprise's first Captain, showing up in an episode from The Animated Series, "The Counter-Clock Incident." So many of his characteristics, even his age (34), stayed in place as the central role morphed into Captain Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) and finally into James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Roddenberry had a very clear conception of what he wanted his starship captain to be, and that conception guided both the performances of Hunter and Shatner… the latter to iconic status.

The First Officer: from Number One and Mr. Spock to… Mr. Spock

Roddenberry wrote the part of Number One, the ship's Executive Officer, for his then-mistress (and later wife) Majel Barrett. Number One was supposed to be calm, cool, mysterious and almost emotionless (traits that got passed along to the show's eventual First Officer) with a knowledge of the ship's workings that surpassed that of her captain's.

The First Lieutenant, meanwhile, was a fellow named Spock with "a face so heavy-lidded and satanic you might almost expect him to have a forked tail." This devilish-looking dude, "probably half Martian," served as the Captain's right-hand man and had a quiet temperament combined with considerable strength.

read more: The Most Important Star Trek Original Series Episodes

Both Number One and Spock appeared in the show's first pilot, "The Cage," but when it came time to shoot the second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," Number One was gone and many of her elements were rolled into the Spock we know and love today.

The Ship’s Doctor: from Dr. Philip Boyce to Dr. Leonard McCoy

The ship's Chief Medical Officer went through a few incarnations too, but largely kept his cynical, crusty, world-weary demeanor throughout his evolution. The first iteration of this character was Dr. Philip Boyce, sketched out in Roddenberry's initial treatment and fleshed out by actor John Hoyt in the first pilot, "The Cage," where he is seen as a confidant of Captain Pike.

read more - The Best Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes

Boyce was gone in "Where No Man Has Gone Before," with Dr. Mark Piper (Paul Fix) on board and seemingly not as close to Captain Kirk. We never got to know Piper well at all (the popular theory is that he was just a temp) because by the time Star Trek got into regular production, the doctor had become our beloved Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and his crucial role as Kirk's conscience and therapist came into focus.

The Navigator: from Jose Ortegas to Ensign Chekov

The "Star Trek is…" manifesto mentioned a navigator named Jose Ortegas, born in South America, and described as "tall, handsome, about 25 and brilliant, but still in [the] process of maturing." Ortegas was also supposed to be somewhat of a ladies man, but the whole "hot-headed Latin lover" thing sounds cringe-worthy for even back then.

read more - The Troubled Production of Star Trek: The Motion Picture

A version of Ortegas did show up as Jose Tyler in "The Cage," but the Enterprise was largely without a regular navigator until Pavel Chekov appeared on the scene in Season 2 — a Russian by birth, but young, smart, a bit hot-headed and also quick to seek out the ladies. So the spirit of Jose Ortegas lived on…

The Mission Statement

The famous "Wagon Train to the stars" concept that is often cited as Roddenberry's basic template for Star Trek was stated right there in his original pitch, along with the "parallel worlds" theory that humanoid life similar to our own, even in terms of cultural development, could evolve on millions of planets throughout the galaxy.

read more - The Difficult Journey of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

The mission parameters also stayed remarkably the same: a five-year stretch, with the primary duties being Earth security, scientific investigation, and assistance or aid to Earth colonies. Landings and contact would be confined to "planets approximating Earth-Mars conditions, life and social orders."

Getting Around: from "Recon Vehicles" to the Transporter

From the start, Roddenberry emphasized that the Yorktown would mostly stay in orbit and rarely land on a planet itself, with missions accomplished through landing parties traveling in "a small recon rocket vehicle." While the idea of the landing vehicle eventually translated into the shuttlecraft, it was the development of the transporter beam that was the real breakthrough for Trek, enabling characters to get quickly in and out of stories through the use of a simple optical effect. Somehow, the idea now of watching a shuttlecraft or "recon vehicle" go through its paces every week seems incredibly stodgy.

The Stories: from "The Next Cage" to "The Menagerie"

After developing the initial Trek concept, Roddenberry (as he said in many interviews) sat down and came up with a slew of story ideas off the top of his head and included them in his pitch. A number of those stories actually made it to the screen, at least loosely. They included:

read more - In Defense of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

"The Next Cage": Captain April is caged in an alien zoo and offered a mate. This evolved into the first pilot, "The Cage," which itself was folded into the brilliantly written two-parter, "The Menagerie."

"The Day Charlie Became God": A young man is given incredible powers. This was the basis of "Charlie X."

"President Capone": The Yorktown travels to a parallel world where Al Capone is ruler. Elements of this made it into the season two episode "A Piece of the Action."

"The Women": "Hanky panky" ensues as the Yorktown transports a cargo of women to a mining colony. This evolved into "Mudd’s Women."

"Mr. Socrates": The Yorktown visits a planet where duplicates of famous humans are forced to fight in gladiatorial games. This concept hung around until the third season, when it morphed into "The Savage Curtain."

"Kentucky, Kentucky": Captain April helps the survivors of a "frontier"-type colony defend themselves against a race of savage invaders. Sounds like the seed idea for "Errand of Mercy" to us.

Other story ideas (with the eventual episode, if produced, in parentheses) were "The Coming" ("Bread and Circuses"), "The Perfect World" ("The Return of the Archons"), "100 A.B." ("The Omega Glory") and "The Mirror" ("Mirror, Mirror").

The following contains spoilers for GLOW season 3.

GLOW’s spectacular, infectiously energetic first season was surprisingly devoid of LGBTQ characters. Yet in the intervening seasons, it has cultivated queerness in its storytelling in a way that feels organic, honest, and in line with the show’s sensibility. One of the best ways it does this is by having several different queer characters at different points along their journey of understanding their own sexuality and how it relates to the rest of their identity. Season 3, in particular, has allowed for a level of complex visibility that still feels all too rare, even in the era of peak TV.

In GLOW season 1, Bash’s faithful butler/best friend Florian was the only recurring LGBTQ character. In GLOW season 2, he died off-screen of what was most assuredly (though never explicitly confirmed to be) AIDS. As Bash (Chris Lowell) struggled with his grief, there was a beautiful story created almost entirely in gesture, facial expression, and other unspoken, quiet moments that showed him tussling with not only the loss but also what his feelings meant about his own sexuality, the stigma of HIV/AIDS, and internalized homophobia. 

The specter of it HIV/AIDS haunts the series as a whole, and no doubt plays a role in the way Bash enacts self-hatred and homophobia in how he reacts to Florian’s death, his eagerness to marry Rhonda (Kate Nash) to keep her in the country, and his reaction to realizing his own sexuality. It’s heartbreaking to watch this come to a head in season 3 as both he and Rhonda feel isolated and unwanted in their marriage. Even once Rhonda understands what’s going and tries to give Bash the latitude to experience sex with men, his own fear and internalized homophobia gets in the way, leading to him discriminatorily not hiring Bobby, treating everyone around him horribly, and eventually crying on Debbie’s lap. 

Bash breaking down with Debbie (Betty Gilpin) and confessing that he doesn’t want to die is one of season 3’s most moving scenes. Debbie is a big enough person and his emotions so raw that she recognizes that even though he has treated her horribly, in that moment, she can be mad at him for other things and still be there for him as a human being going through something on another level. After watching Debbie fail to be there for Ruth when an executive tried to coerce her into sex last season, it’s a positive development for Debbie. When he says he doesn’t want to die, Bash means HIV/AIDS, but his end-of-season decision to use his wealth to run away from who he is and pretend to be straight in another city is a different kind of danger. He may not be able to see it yet, but with the season of self-destruction from a once-buoyant character, GLOW makes sure the audience can: denying his identity is killing Bash Howard. 

It’s entirely possible that a wealthy cis man like Bash, even if he eventually comes to terms with being gay, might always strive for assimilation. His only association with being LGBTQ is death and stigma, which while a real and terrifying prospect, is a one-dimensional look at a wide and varied community that GLOW shows us glimpses of through other characters. 

further reading: GLOW Season 3 Review

Unlike Bash, Yolanda (Shakira Berrera) is clearly entirely comfortable in her own skin and only opts to “pass” as straight when it’s a matter of safety or financial necessity. As a lower income woman of color, she has fewer options to escape the potentially deadly or otherwise violent consequences of queerness in the 80s, whether illness or hatred, whereas Bash’s privilege and class insulate him in some ways. Of course, nothing can protect him from the sadness of denying who he is or losing a dear friend, something I hope to see season 4 explore further.

Arthie’s self-exploration of her sexuality in season 2 was a subtle slow-burn, with roots that could be seen as far back as the first episode of the series, when she was transfixed by Debbie, and repeatedly caught staring. A straight audience might have read that as awe, or a testament to Debbie’s beauty, but when Bash responded similarly to Debbie, it was automatically read as sexual attraction. Did GLOW choose to reframe their perspective on these events, or was the queerness always there, simply overlooked by the hetero gaze? GLOW’s decision to reframe important moments featuring Arthie (Sunita Mani) and Bash to believably explore their sexual identity is a great example of not just adding queer characters, but queering the narrative itself. 

The heterosexual point of view, and the male gaze in particular, is something GLOW engages with directly for its show-within-a-show. In season 2 when Bash suggested a wedding in the ring, Sam (Marc Maron) laughed back, “who are they gonna marry? Each other?” Yolanda showed an astute knowledge for how Sam works: as he has said since the very first episode, who gets hired depends on whose face and ass he likes, and she likes her job. Whether it’s stripping or wrestling, Yolanda knows that Sam and other straight men want to project their own desires and fantasies onto her, so she lets them, while still living her life how she wants to, shame free. In season 3, a version of this subtext became text when she flirted with men and elaborated to Arthie that, “someone needs to keep us safe.”

While the occasional invisibility of passing might sometimes keep Arthie and Yolanda safe, it does take a toll on their relationship. They break up due to Arthie’s fear around what it means to publicly and unapologetically label herself. It seems Arthie isn’t ashamed of her relationship with Yolanda, but she was more hesitant about the permanence and stigma a label might bring. Beyond that, there’s the reality that some people can’t pass or won’t want to, and passing won’t always keep anyone safe. The season ends with homophobic violence against the gay nightclub during the HIV/AIDS fundraiser, which serves as a wakeup call for everyone, but seems to hit Arthie especially hard.

Unlike the show they’re creating, GLOW doesn’t rely on a male gaze-y “girl-on-girl!” style of representation, instead opting for naturalistic sex scenes that move the story forward. Arthie and Yolanda actually have sex on screen, just like the heterosexual couples on the show, avoiding a longstanding trope of extreme on-screen chastity. Rumors of shows with maximum PDA levels or numbers of kisses for LGBTQ couples are fueled by the likes of Modern Family, to the point where it’s noticeable when a show like Schitt’s Creek breaks that mold and shows a natural amount of affection within a couple. 

further reading: The GLOW Season 2 Moments That Actually Happened

One of the highlights of GLOW’s season 3 is Bobby Barnes (Kevin Cahoon), a drag performer, played with great depth by Kevin Cahoon. With drag captivating the mainstream American zeitgeist right now, it’s easy to just add drag queens as mere set decoration. GLOW dances with this fact knowingly, one the one hand using Bobby to usher along Sheila and Debbie’s plots and spice up a lagging season with too little wrestling, which is a shallow form of inclusion to capitalize on a trend. On the other hand, the show engages directly with real life issues drag queens face and lampshades the frustrating reality of a bunch of straight women showing up to an underground drag ball for a good time, giving that excellent quip to Yolanda, a queer woman of color. 

Bobby is visibly queer and as a result faces a higher degree of discrimination which keeps him from playing any of the main stages in Vegas, in spite of the obvious financial benefit he would bring to an investor, given his ability to pack a theater. In Bash’s case, internalized homophobia and a fear of “guilt by association” is the culprit. Bobby is still largely an auxiliary player and drag still feels more like a setting for the regular characters to play in, but I’m hopeful that he’ll be back next season and will continue to challenge Bash, the gorgeous ladies of wrestling, and the audience, to think more deeply about what they expect from him and why they feel entitled to it. 

USA Network's Mr. Robot Season 4 is almost here, leaving hackers everywhere to rejoice.

Sadly, the fourth season of Mr. Robot will be the show's last. Show creator Sam Esmail confirmed once and for all that Mr. Robot Season 4 will be the final season. Oh well, to the nice farm upstate for retired dramas with you.

Mr. Robot has been a critical win for the network since the beginning. Stars Rami Malek and Christian Slater have received numerous award nominations, including an Emmy win for Malek for Best Actor in 2016. The series also stars Portia Doubleday, Carly Chaikin, Martin Wallström, Grace Gummer, Michael Cristofer, and BD Wong. Additionally, actor Bobby Cannavale received praise after joining in Season 3.

We’ve covered  Mr. Robot Season 3 in-depth, including a behind-the-scenes interview on how the show's easter eggs cross over into the real world. You can follow along with our reviews here.

Mr. Robot Season 4 Release Date

The final season premieres on Sunday, October 6th at 10 p.m. on USA. 

Mr. Robot Season 4 Trailer

USA released the full trailer for Mr. Robot's final season: 

Need a reminder of what went down during the first three Mr. Robotseasons? Allow Leon (Joey Bada$$) to explain.

The first teaser trailer for Mr. Robot's final season is here! The clip shows Rami Malek's Elliot forced by an unseen character to answer a very tough question about his destructive actions across the series. It may not be much, but it's certainly enough to renew our dormant appetites for the series.

Mr. Robot Season 4 Poster

The first image from Mr. Robot Season 4 has surfaced and it features a familiar face. Check out the image below:

Along with the image came a secret message urging fans to head to https://www.whoismrrobot.com/ to learn more about the upcoming final season.

This follows the announcement that Mr. Robot Season 4 will, according to creator Sam Esmail, take place across the span of a single week in December of 2015, carrying the unifying theme of the Christmas holiday.

The intriguing detail was dropped at a Tribeca Film Festival panel hosted by THR’s Scott Feinberg, where Esmail explained (via Deadline):

“Typically, how [British shows] wrap up series, like the British [version of The] Office, you tend to do a Christmas special. So, the final season of Mr. Robot is one very long Christmas special that will last about a week over Christmas of 2015.”

Esmail – who was joined in the panel by stars Rami Malek, Christian Slater and Carly Chaikin – spent much of the time discussing the show’s evolution, which, besides its own story developments, has been affected by external factors. The series, which launched back in June 2015, still takes place in the later part of that year. Indeed, after initially brandishing the tagline, “Our democracy has been hacked,” its proven prescience has rendered the series a period piece of sorts.

Mr. Robot Season 4 Details

Rami Malek recently returned to the set of Mr. Robot, which is currently shooting its fourth-and-final frame. However, it's hard not to acknowledge that Malek is showing up to the set of the cable series after having just won the highest prize that the industry can bestow an actor – a Best Lead Actor Oscar for his role as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. As he shifts focus from Freddie back to Elliot Alderson, his tortured anarchist hacker-turned unwitting pawn for a global criminal cabal, Malek discusses his expectations for Mr. Robot Season 4 in an interview with EW, stating:

“I trust [creator Sam Esmail] implicitly, so if that is the way he thought he could close out this story line, then I’m with him.” He adds, “I can say this, it is a very impactful, emotional, and I think clearly well thought out way to end this story and this series. It’s remarkable. I’m in awe of the man and what he has done this season.”

As far as the atmosphere on the set as the series heads to its finish line, Malek explains:

“Christian [Slater] and Carly [Chaikin] and I were on set the other day almost making a pact to soak everything in as much as possible,” he shares. “Christian has always been a guy who has got me to really savor these momentous times in our lives, and this has been a major one for me and the most life-changing. So, it’s obviously bittersweet, but I’m just going to try and enjoy it for as long as I possibly can.“

Regarding the expectations of the viewers for the series ending, Rami Malek explained in an interview with Digital Spy last month, that the ending will be pretty wild. 

"[Christian Slater and I] both got a call from Sam Esmail and my mouth was agape after he told me how the season ended," Malek said. "It's going to be a very, very, climactic ending to what I think has been four great seasons of television."

Mr. Robot Season 4 Cast

No major changes announced so far for the cast of Mr. Robot Season 4. All the regulars including Rami Malek, Christian Slater, and Carly Chaikin will undoubtedly be back. Less clear, however, is the fate of Bobby Cannavale's character Irving. Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail seems dedicated to bringing him back though, saying "if there's any opportunity to work with him again, I'll do that."

further reading: Jason Bourne USA Network Series: Everything You Need to Know

There's also the matter of Fernando Vera (Elliot Villar). You may remember him as the guy who Elliot helped get out of prison and who returned the favor by killing Elliot's girlfriend. Well from the looks of season 3's post-credits sequence, he'll be back. Uh oh.

Chris Longo is the deputy editor and print editor of Den of Geek. You can tell him who you'd like to get stuck in The Good Place with on Twitter -> @east_coastbias. 

Joseph Baxter is a contributor for Den of Geek and Syfy Wire. You can find his work here. Follow him on Twitter @josbaxter.

Initially we had very little information on the prospects of Rick and Morty Season 4 because of some contract difficulties. Now those have all been straightened out and more episodes are on the way.

Series co-creator Justin Roiland finally broke the silence on the negotiations with an Instagram post. The illustration states that 70 more episodes of Adult Swim's Rick and Morty are on the way. Going by last season's 10 episodes, that's potentially seven more seasons of Rick and Morty.

The official word from the network states that "Adult Swim has made a long-term overall deal with the creators that will include 70 new episodes of the critically acclaimed series that follows a sociopathic genius scientist who drags his inherently timid grandson on insanely dangerous adventures across the universe."

It's about time. Ahead of what will likely be a big trailer reveal at SDCC 2019, Adult Swim has released the first two images from the new season (courtesy of EW, via io9):

Here's everything else we know about Rick and Morty season 4:

Rick and Morty Season 4 Release Date

Rick and Morty Season 4 now has an official release date...or at least an official release month! At WarnerMedia's upfront presentation, they welcomed two very special lads to reveal the release month.

Rick and MortySeason 4 arrives November 2019! We don't know an exact date yet but Adult Swim plans on screening an episode of Rick and Morty Season 4 at the second annual Adult Swim Festival on November 16.

Previously Writer Ryan Ridley, in an interview with The Detroit Cast, said it could be a longer hiatus than usual, since the writers haven’t even started on the fourth season yet. And why should they when there's nothing going on with the network just yet?

further reading: Rick and Morty Soundtrack Coming from Sub Pop and Adult Swim

"I know how long this show takes to write, let alone animate," he said. "I'd be surprised if there was a fourth season on the air anytime sooner than 2019... late 2019.”

Rick and Morty Season 4 Teasers and Trailers

It's not necessarily an anime promo but it'll do. Adult Swim has released another intriguing teaser for Rick and Morty Season 4 that presumably doesn't contain any footage from Rick and Morty Season 4. Unless you anticipate this happening...

Adult Swim released a short clip of Rick and Morty Season 4 in advance of the show's appearance at SDCC 2019. It looks like Morty and Jerry want to get into the app game and the alien Glootie (voiced by Taiki Waititi) is not much help. 

Rick and Morty Season 4 Cast

Each season of Rick and Morty has the same relatively sparse cast. That's what happens when your creator (Justin Roiland) also voices the two main characters among countless other folks. Expect Sarah Chalke, Chris Parnell, and Spencer Grammer to return and fill out the roles of the Smith/Sanchez family.

Harmon and Roiland also revealed to EW that Paul Giamatti, Sam Neil, Taika Waititi, and Kathleen Turner are set to guest star in the new season.

We’ll keep you posted on more Rick and Morty season 4 news as we get it.

Rick and Morty Season 4 Episodes

Shortly after season three concluded, Dan Harmon talked to Entertainment Weekly about a wide-range of topics, including the prospect of filling out a larger episode order for Rick and Morty Season 4 and beyond. While season three was originally set to be 14 episodes, production delays because of their own self-described “perfectionist” tendencies inevitably led to a 10-episode third season.

Could Rick and Morty season 4 fulfil a larger episode order? Harmon seems optimistic, but wants fans to weather their expectations of the quality of an additional four episodes.

further reading: New Rick and Morty Seasons Will Be Released More Regularly

“I mostly blame myself for doing 10 instead of 14,” Harmon told EW. “I’m still learning how to do the show efficiently while catering to the perfectionist in all of us. I would like to think I’ve learned enough from my mistakes in season 3 that we could definitely do 14 now, but then I have to say, ‘Yeah but you’re the guy who says we can do 14 who turned out to be wrong so we’re not listening to you now.’"

He goes on to say they need to prove they can make the jump.

“The nice healthy way to approach this is I want to prove it with the first 10 of season 4 — prove it to ourselves, to production, to the network — that it’s so easy that we’ll earn additional episodes.”

Rick and Morty is one of the most popular shows on TV right now, so Harmon knows what fans would say on the matter.

“I think the audience would vote unanimously for the idea of 14 episodes instead of 10 on the condition that 4 of them would be [Purge Planet level] episodes."

Read and download the Den of Geek SDCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Silicon Valley Season 6 is definitely happening on HBO! Unfortunately it will be the show's final season.

Variety reports that HBO has announced that Silicon ValleySeason 6 will be the final go-around for Pied Piper. This makes sense as the story has largely run its course and showrunner Alec Berg is moonlighting on Barry. Still, we'll be sad to see Richard and Co. go.

Silicon Valley is the creation of Mike Judge, John Atlschuler, and Dave Krinsky. It's executive produced by creators Judge and Berg, joined in that capacity by Clay Tarver, Michael Rotenberg, Tom Lassally, Jim Kleverweis, with co-executive producers Jamie Babbit, Anthony King, Graham Wagner, and Ron Weiner. They are joined by consulting producers Carrie Kemper, Carson Mell, Jonathan Dotan, Todd Silverstein and Josh Lieb.

Silicon Valley Season 6 Release Date

HBO announced that Silicon Valley will return for its final season on October 27.

Silicon Valley Season 6 Cast

Silicon Valley continues to be an irreverent examination of the over-the-top, often-self-aggrandizing, tech culture personalities who call the eponymous Northern California region home. The series centers on the embattled awkward (often-exploited) misfits of video compression startup “Pied Piper,” in Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch) Bertram Gilfoyle (Martin Starr), Jared Dunn (Zach Woods) and Dinesh Chugtai (Kumail Nanjiani), all of whom are expected to return for Silicon Valley Season 6.

read more: Big Little Lies Season 2: Everything You Need to Know

Interestingly, T.J. Miller, an original cast member, who played the perpetually-stoned Pied Piper idea man, Erlich Bachman, exited the series after Season 4; a move that, in retrospect, may prove to be serendipitous for the series as it goes in to Season 6, considering his various controversies, the latest of which involves his arrest over a fake bomb threat at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. 

Silicon Valley Season 6 Episodes

Silicon Valley Season 6 will contain seven episodes, per a Variety report.

Silicon Valley Seaosn 6 Trailer

Here is a first look at Silicon Valley Season 6. Looks like Richard and Pied Piper have reached "Congressional hearings" level of influence. 

Silicon Valley Season 6 Story

It was always expected that Season 6 could end the show. Silicon Valley creator Mike Judge seemed to imply that quite awhile ago, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “Season five would be the second-to-last, yeah. That’s how we were talking when we were setting up this season finale, just to help us in the writing. But you never know. It could be that it gets to six and someone has some idea.”

This Titans review contains spoilers.

Titans Season 2 Episode 1

At the end of the Titans season 1, we saw a dreamscape version of a murderous Batman while Trigon entered into the realm of man, and began his plan to destroy all creation — and things felt a little jumbled. However, the Titans season 2 premiere re-shuffles an already pretty good show, and resets it with a promising new beginning. 

The premiere - titled “Trigon” even though he feels like an afterthought — picks up right at the end of the first season finale. Rachel (Teagan Croft) has brought her demon dad to earth, and Dick is in his dark place (the one where he kills Batman). Hawk and a healed Dove arrive with Jason Todd (Curran Walters) because he was needed for some reason that isn’t quite cleared up. And despite a rally cry from Donna — “Titans … and new Robin… let’s go” — the team is equally sucked into their worst memories, or dark desires.

It’s a shaky setup that should have been a season 1 finale, but at least Rachel becomes Raven, and the Titans are born. 

While we get a pretty cool CG demonic Trigon straight from a heavy metal album cover, — who hammers home (a lot) how much he needs Rachel’s heart to be broken — the show actually sheds some of its darkness for a brighter sophomore outing. An outing with hopefully less unnecessary violence). 

The best moments of the episode take place after Rachel dispatches Trigon. 

First up is the reveal of Esai Morales as a weathered Deathstroke who feels the need to come out of retirement when he sees Jason’s cocky “Titans are back, bitches” TV camera-bomb. This older Slade tracks with the timing of this show, where also Batman is older, and the sidekicks are grown up. 

Speaking of Bats, Iain Glen (Ser Jorah from Game of Thrones) steps into the Italian leather shoes of an aging Bruce Wayne. And it works. His American accent leaves a lot to be desired, but the conversation with Dick (Brenton Thwaites) carry an odd sincerity. They portray a father and son who are very different from each other, but nevertheless are trying to find peace. Glen actually reminded me of Kevin Conroy, the definitive Batman, and I enjoyed his gruffness, and pained smile. And it was almost touching that this Bat-dad knew Dick could shape Jason into a better Robin than he could. 

Still, that accent tho. 

Additionally, the return to Titans Tower (sadly not shaped like a “T”) clicked, especially to the version of The Talking Heads’ “This Must Be The Place.” There is a sweetness to the new class of Gar, Jason, and Rachel exploring their HQ with bright-eyed wonderment. And it gives the entire series promise of less brooding, and more super heroics (although I know some folks would prefer the grit).

read more: A Guide to DC Animated Movies

Beyond that, the premiere has great character moments from Donna (Conor Leslie), the break-out from the first season. She’s a natural leader. I didn’t get much out of Kori (Anna Diop), but dug the frenemy moment between her and Donna. Meanwhile Hawk (Alan Ritchson) continues to be the R-rated voice of the audience (“Kid should have asked us to get f—ing Superman”), and Dove (Minka Kelly) is just a sane presence in the mix — I especially love her parenting Hawk and Jason in Wayne Manor while the grown-ups are all away. And hey, Gar (Ryan Potter) as a snake is cool, after getting the crap kicked out of him by his teammates. 

This wasn’t a multiverse-shattering premiere, but it feels quite a bit like a much-needed course correction for this series. I am looking forward to more fun, hopefully a more cohesive tone – and narrative structure -- and less, “F—k Batman.” 

Keep up with Titans season 2 news and reviews here.

This review of The Affair contains spoilers.

The Affair Season 5 Episode 3

Daniel Kurland is a published writer, comedian, and critic whose work can be read on Den of Geek, Vulture, and Bloody Disgusting. Daniel knows that the owls are not what they seem, that Psycho II is better than the original, and he’s always game to discuss Space Dandy. His perma-neurotic thought process can be followed at @DanielKurlansky.

This Fear the Walking Dead review contains spoilers. 

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 13

If I had to choose the single best scene of Fear the Walking Dead’s Season 5, it’s the tense moment leading up to whether or not a single bullet will be fired. In the face of impossible odds, when all hope is lost, how we choose to die is the only thing that matters. Like everyone else listening helplessly as this scenario unfolds, I dreaded the sound of that gunshot. That I could be so quickly invested in a random person’s survival speaks a lot to what works about Ashley Cardiff and Nick Bernadone’s script. While “Leave What You Don’t” is a bit uneven at times, director Daisy von Scherler Mayer still delivers a powerful rumination on the unexpected interconnectedness of a fractured world.

In this episode, we finally get our first good look at the all-important oil fields, dubbed Tank Town by our merry band of do-gooders. Where, as it turns out, they’re operating a jerry-rigged, zombie-powered refinery originally set up by Clayton. I mean, sure, why not, right? If you’re willing to believe an inexperienced group of people can repair a plane, anything is possible. This is a zombie show, you might argue, so why question such improbabilities, right? But where does one draw the line between gritty zombie drama and campy fantasy? Some basis in real-world logic can only bolster the group’s more outrageous achievements. June’s practical experience as an emergency room doctor certainly gives her a credible leg up as the group’s de facto medic. But making a crashed plane airworthy, or knowing how to refine crude oil? That’s a stretch. And throwing in a line that this zombie-powered refinery is 3,000 barrels ahead of schedule? We’re barely only seven minutes into the episode and you’ve already lost me. 

That is, until Logan arrives at Tank Town. Thanks to Matt Frewer, and a good turn by Mo Collins’s Sarah, “Leave What You Don’t” suddenly delivers an infusion of hard-nosed drama that Fear so desperately needs. By showing us who Logan used to be—altruistic and determined to help—we can better understand how broken he is by this world. But he’s not the only one burdened by guilt and regret, no. Wendell and especially Sarah must contend with how they abandoned Clayton to die after they stole his rig. This one cruel act set off a chain of events that ultimately leads to the Tank Town standoff. Sarah has no moral ground to stand on; Clayton’s loss is everyone’s loss. 

Which is why Logan demands that Luciana and the rest just walk away—their small-time approach to helping others isn’t enough to truly move the needle. To him, the way their group doles out hope in small portions is not only disingenuous, it’s dangerous. Either you help everyone, or you help no one. Sowing false hope will only get more people killed, in his opinion.

read more: The Walking Dead Movie to Be Released in Theaters Only

As it turns out, Logan’s most villainous act isn’t storming Tank Town, it’s literally burning the past when he nonchalantly tosses Clayton’s journals into a fire. To Logan, keeping his former partner’s ideals alive flies in the face of natural selection. Either you know how to survive without a cheat sheet, or you don’t. 

But Logan’s past comes back to haunt him. His failure to save someone at the very same truck stop seems like history repeating itself. And it’s here that “Leave What You Don’t” takes a very dark turn. Logan’s belief that a trapped survivor (Holly Curran) take her own life might seem like an act of mercy, but in actuality it’s cruelty masquerading as pessimism, or worse, it’s fatalism in practicality’s clothing. Either you pull the trigger, or you don’t.

Of course, choosing death over hope flies in the face of everything that Fear has tried to accomplish this season. This only underscores the bleak reality faced by so many survivors—and only proves Logan’s point that false hope puts people in jeopardy. In the end, though, this girl’s unexpected rescue actually reinforces the show’s message of hope…only to yank it all back moments later as Logan and his entire crew are gunned down where they stand.

Which brings us to yet another band of survivors, this one led by Virginia (The Boys’ Colby Minifie). As startling as this turn of events is, and as big as Texas might be, this world is beginning to feel a bit overstuffed. One wonders how a group of Virginia’s size could fly below the radar for so long. One also wonders how the caravan can ever stand toe to toe with such a well-organized group—especially one whose survival isn’t beholden to fossil fuels.

In the end, not only are our do-gooders forced to surrender the oil fields, they lose Luciana in the process. As intriguing as these new developments are, I’m genuinely sad to see Matt Frewer go. 

As for Alicia, she’s been off painting phoenixes on trees, instead of fighting the good fight. We know Alicia has struggled with the endless killing, but sidelining her like this is a disservice to a character that was once one of Fear’s strongest.

All in all, I’m glad that Fear is willing to explore the murkier side of morality, even if it means challenging its own status quo. But this only works if we’re willing to meet the show’s creators halfway by looking past some of Season 5’s more questionable moments. As Virginia herself says at the beginning of the episode, “Together, we can get from yesterday to tomorrow.”

Keep up with Fear The Walking Dead Season 5 news and reviews here.

David S.E. Zapanta is the author of four books. Read more of his Den of Geek writing here. He’s also an avid street photographer. Plus, you can follow him on Twitter: @melancholymania

The Walking Dead's little zombie brother is starting to walk on its own. Fear the Walking Dead season 5 is now underway on AMC. 

It's been a tumultuous year for Fear the Walking Dead. This season saw the arrival of Morgan Jones (played by Lennie James) from The Walking Dead universe's flagship show. The show then made numerous other high profile additions to the cast, including Garret Dillahunt, Maggie Grace, and Jenna Elfman.

To thin out the crowd after all the new arrivals, Fear the Walking Dead killed two main characters who had been around since day one: Madison (Kim Dickens) and Nick (Frank Dillane). The violent, unpredictable world of the zombie apocalypse in The Walking Dead has always meant that the shows can call for a mass upheaval of the cast whenever they'd like but Fear the Walking Dead season 4 was the first time either it or The Walking Dead had tried it in such a systematic fashion. The effect has been at least intriguing enough for AMC to roll the dice on Fear the Walking Dead season 5.

Fear the Walking Dead is run by Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg. Previous Walking Dead showrunner Scott Gimple is now overseeing the entire franchise. That could mean for crossovers or synergy between the two shows in future years.

Here's everything else we know about season 5:

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 14 Trailer

Here is a sneak peak at the next episode of Fear the Walking Deadseason 5, titled "Today and Tomorrow."

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episodes

Here's where we'll compile episode titles, official synopses, and reviews as they become available. Click the titles to go to the full reviews.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 1: Here to Help

Lead by Morgan and Alicia, the group lands in uncharted territory in search of survivors to help. But everything is not as it seems in this foreboding new land.

Michael E. Satrazemis directed the episode written by Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss.

Air date: 6/2/19

Read our review of "Here to Help" here.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 2: The Hurt That Will Happen

Morgan and Alicia meet a survivor and learn of a grave new walker threat. Meanwhile, the mission is put to the test when one of their own goes missing. Elsewhere, Strand makes contact.

Jessica Lowrey directed the episode written by Alex Delyle. 

Air date: 6/9/19

Read our review of "The Hurt That Will Happen" here.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 3: Humbug's Gulch

June and Dorie take shelter to hide from a threat, but a misunderstanding with a desperate survivor leads to trouble. Meanwhile, Alicia and Morgan face a dangerous obstacle.

Colman Domingo directed the episode written by Ashley Cardiff. 

Air date: 6/16/19

Read our review "Humbug's Gulch" here.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 4: Skidmark

Charlie makes a friend, while Strand, Wendell, and Sarah's rescue mission hits a snag. Elsewhere, Alicia, Luciana, and Morgan struggle to fulfill their mission.

Tara Nicole Weyr directed the episode written by Samir Mehta.

Air date: 6/23/19

Read our review of "Skidmark" here.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 5: The End of Everything

Althea chases a story with dogged determination, putting the mission, and her life in danger.

Michael E. Satrazemis directed the episode written by Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg.

Air date: 6/30/19

Read our review of "The End of Everything" here.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 6: The Little Prince

Facing impossible odds, Luciana and the group work together to tackle an impossible task while Morgan helps prevent disaster; an old friend presents Sarah, Charlie, and Strand with a solution.

Sharat Raju directed the episode written by Mallory Westfall.

Air date: 7/7/19

Read our review of "The Little Prince" here.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 7: Still Standing

Strand and Charlie seek safety; Dorie helps Dwight on his quest; Morgan stays focused on the greater mission; Alicia refuses to give up.

Marta Cunningham directed the episode written by Richard Naing.

Air date: 7/14/19

Read our review of "Still Standing" here.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 8: Is Anybody Out There?

Up against the clock, Morgan, Grace, and Alicia work to buy time; Dorie and Dwight race against the elements; Sarah and Wendell get help from an unexpected source.

Michael E. Satrazemis directed the episode written by Michael Alaimo.

Air date: 7/21/19

Read our review of "Is Anybody Out There?" here.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 9: Channel 4

The group, traveling in a convoy, doubles-down on their mission to help survivors; in an effort to encourage more survivors to reach out, Al, Luciana and Charlie document Morgan and the gang on a dangerous mission to help a reclusive survivor.

Dan Liu directed the episode written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick

Air date: 8/11/19

Read our review of "Channel 4" here.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 10: 210 Words Per Minute

Morgan and Grace search an abandoned shopping mall for supplies and to fulfill a dying man's wish but the mission quickly turns to a fight for survival; Dwight's resolve to be a better man is tested.

Ron Underwood directed the episode written by Ashley Cardif

Air date: 8/18/19

Read our review of "210 Words Per Minute" here.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 11: You're Still Here

As Alicia struggles to find her new role in the convoy, she's drawn to mysterious artwork. A simple scouting trip is derailed when she and Strand are thrust into a conflict between desperate survivors. Meanwhile, Morgan and Al hit a roadblock.

Andrew Bernstein directed the episode written by Mallory Westfall & Alex Delyle

Air date: 8/25/19

Read our review of "You're Still Here" here.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 12: Ner Tamid

In search of a permanent home for the convoy, Charlie is drawn to a synagogue where she encounters a rabbi surviving on his own; Sarah and Dwight face unexpected foes.

Michael E. Satrazemis directed the episode written by Andrew Chambliss & Ian Goldberg

Air date: 9/1/19

Read our review of "Ner Tamid" here.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 13: Leave What You Don't

Logan's motives are revealed; Sarah, Dwight, and Luciana negotiate for the sake of the mission; Strand and Alicia race to the aid of a new survivor in a familiar place; a dangerous threat emerges.

Daisy von Scherler Mayer directed the episode written by Ashley Cardiff and Nick Bernardone

Air date: 9/8/19

Read our review of "Leave What You Don't" here.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 14: Today and Tomorrow

An encounter with a survivor sends Al and Morgan on a mission into a dangerous settlement; Al chases a lead while Morgan has an epiphany; Grace and Daniel make a connection.

Air date: 9/15/19

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 15: Channel 5

When Virginia makes a statement, Al responds in kind; facing dire circumstances, June leads the search for a new place to call home; with Grace's condition worsening, Morgan makes a tough call.

Air date: 9/22/19

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 16: End of the Line

Facing an unknown future, Morgan leads the group on a mission; Al puts the pieces together; John and June make a promise.

Air date: 9/29/19

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 News

Holly Curran is set to join Fear the Walking Dead for a recurring role in the second half of Season 5, according to Deadline. While no details were revealed about Curran’s character, she is coming off her most notable role yet, a TV run on Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Penny Pann. She previously appeared on Amazon’s Z: The Beginning of Everything, and fielded guest spots on Facebook series Same Same, NBC shows The Blacklist and Chicago Justice, CBS’s Bull and AMC’s TURN: Washington’s Spies. 

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Trailer

Here's the trailer for the second half of Fear the Walking Dead season 5:

Fear the Walking Dead 5 Cast

Colby Minifie (Dietland), Peter Jacobson (House), and Colby Hollman (Lost in Reality) are joining the cast of Fear the Walking Dead season 5 in its second half!

Related Article: Everything You Need to Know About The Walking Dead Season 10

Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Photos

AMC has provided some first look photos for Fear the Walking DeadSeason 5. Among them is another look at a familiar face to The Walking Dead...and a scarred, gross face at that.

Read and download the Den of Geek SDCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Alec Bojalad is TV Editor at Den of Geek. Read more of his stuff here. Follow him at his creatively-named Twitter handle @alecbojalad

John Saavedra is an associate editor at Den of Geek. Read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter @johnsjr9. 

Good news! The Affair season 5 is here. Bad news! It's the last season.

“We love the intimacy, the nuance, and the emotional honesty of The Affair’s subjective examination of both infidelity and fidelity. Gary Levine, President of Programming Showtime Networks, said in a statement. "Sarah Treem has always envisioned this as a five-season series, and we will be fascinated to see where she takes her talented cast and all of us next year in its climactic season.”

The Affair has been on quite a journey for the past four years. It debuted in the fall of 2014 to almost immediate acclaim. The first season even won the award for best drama at the Golden Globes.

further reading: Billions Season 4 Release Date

Since then, however, The Affair has struggled to maintain the excitement of its original premise. After the titular "affair" worn down, the show has been left with the story of deeply unhappy people living in Montauk, all trying to figure their lives out. 

The Affair Season 5 Episode 4 Trailer

Take a look at the trailer for the latest episode of The Affair season 5 below.

The Affair Season 5 Episode Guide

The Affair Season 5 Episode 1: 501

Noah embarks on his journey with the Descent movie by getting acquainted with his star, Sasha Mann. Helen mourns a tragic event. Sierra welcomes a new arrival. Joanie struggles with an upcoming birthday.

air date: 8/25/19

Read our review of "501" here.

The Affair Season 5 Episode 2: 502

Janelle struggles with her relationship and work, so turns to Carl for support. Production for Descent commences, and Sasha takes an interest in Helen. Helen takes her first steps towards acceptance.

air date: 9/1/19

Read our review of "502" here.

The Affair Season 5 Episode 3: 503

Sasha proposes adjustments to Noah's script. Sasha's relationship with Helen blossoms, and Noah takes notice. Bruce's condition worsens. Joanie's business trip leads to violent encounters.

air date: 9/8/19

Read our review of "503" here. 

The Affair Season 5 Episode 4: 504

Noah, Margaret and Stacey bond over their mutual distaste for Sasha. Noah attempts to sabotage Helen and Sasha's relationship. Whitney and Colin face the hardships of their relationship. Joanie visits the graveyard.

air date: 9/15/19

The Affair Season 5 Release Date

The Affair Season 5 premiered on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 9 p.m. ET.

The Affair Season 5 Cast

The big casting changes for The Affair Season 5 continue on. Jennifer Jason Leigh is the next big addition to the show's final season. Showtime president of programming Gary Levine announced at the 2019 TCA winter press tour that Leigh will be joining The Affair Seaosn 5 in an unspecified role.

Jennifer Jason Leigh is perhaps best known for her role in Single White Female. In recent years, Leigh has popped up in the films Anomalisa and The Hateful Eight.

Anna Paquin will be joining the cast of the show for its fifth and final season, according to TV Line. Paquin's return to pulpy pay cable shows would be a big deal on its own but even more interesting is who she is playing. Paquin will be portraying the adult version Joanie Lockhart. You know what that means...TIME JUMP!

Another character will be leaving The Affair Season 5...sort of. TV Line reports that Joshua Jackson will not be appearing as a series regular in The Affair Season 5. It's possible that Jackson's character Cole will return on a recurring basis. But as things stand that is now officially half the cast who has not made it to The Affair's final season.

read more: Shameless Season 9: Everything You Need to Know

Those of you who watched the final two episodes of The Affair Season 4 are privy to some information: Ruth Wilson is no longer on the show. Yes, her character, Alison, sadly died and dead people don't always make compelling TV characters. A question does remain, however: why is Alison dead? It's entirely possible that the character had run her course and the show wanted to try something new. But some Ruth Wilson quotes make it seem as though there were issues behind the scenes. 

Wilson told Gayle King of CBS This Morning: ""I’m not allowed to talk about why." She would later tell other outlets that the reason wasn't about pay and wasn't about another job. But that still seems to suggest....there was a reason. Either way, Ruth Wilson will not be a part of The Affair's final season.

The Affair Season 5 Trailer

Check out the trailers for The Affair Season 5!

If you were hoping to use to it to determine who was still in the cast, you can now rest assured that Dominic West and Maura Tierney are still around. And that's it apparently!

Alec Bojalad is TV Editor at Den of Geek and TCA member. Read more of his stuff here. Follow him at his creatively-named Twitter handle @alecbojalad

This Righteous Gemstones review contains spoilers.

The Righteous Gemstones Episode 4

I’ve enjoyed the way that The Righteous Gemstones has taken its time slowly introducing us to the colorful cast of characters that make up the Gemstone family. The premiere episode went wide and set the stage, but now we’re really drilling into who these characters are and what makes them tick.  In “Wicked Lips,” we finally spend some time fleshing out Kelvin, who was prominently featured in the premiere, but also we spend quality time with family members that are further out on the fringe, like Jesse’s faithful wife Amber and Keefe (if you can count him as family). If anything, Kelvin, Amber, and Keefe appear like the least cynical characters and the ones that are the most in-touch with their faith and it makes them interesting windows into the Gemstone empire. 

Amber, played by Cassidy Freeman, could have been a one-note character. At first, she appears like a materialistic Stepford wife, but the more time we spend with her, it’s clear that she really believes she’s able to help people and spread the word of God as a part of the Gemstone family. It’s also apparent that she’s faced hardship in her life and has grown from it, as seen in this episode with her mention of her rural upbringing and her serious skills on the gun range. She’s completely loyal to Jesse and doesn’t question his commitment, even when faced with pretty obvious proof of his infidelity from Carl’s wife Amber. Perhaps it’s her love for Jesse that blinds her or her comfort with the status quo, but Amber allows herself to do mental gymnastics to believe Jesse’s lies and eventually convince Amber to fall back in line as well.

However, it appears Amber’s level of devotion will be tested. Once Jesse spots the van of the blackmailers on the road late at night, he pursues the vehicle with Amber in the car. Gideon is riding shotgun in the van, after reporting back to Scotty on the Gemstone operation and spending the evening drunkenly lamenting his father’s hypocrisy. Jesse’s pursuit eventually causes the van to flip, but Scotty and Gideon escape into the woods, faces obscured by distance. When Amber sees the intensity in her husband’s eyes as he tries to go after them with a gun, you can see her delusions about her husband fade in real time. Amber knows something is up, and something tells me that woman who’s like a skilled assassin with handgun can be pretty frightening if she believes she’s been crossed.

read more: The Righteous Gemstones What Secrets Does Gideon Hold?

Elsewhere, Kelvin is giving a direct task by Eli to help a wealthy donor with their “troubled” teenage daughter Dot. It’s funny to watch every other needy member of the Gemstone clan, like Baby Billy and Judy, try to steal the job away from Kelvin, but in the end, Eli relies on his youth ministry-focused youngest. At first Kelvin, with Keefe by his side, goes a little too extreme and heavy handed, performing a demonic sweep on the girl’s bedroom and directly antagonizing her bad boy boyfriend, but once he invites Dot to a youth group meeting, Kelvin actually proves that he may not be terrible at his job, if he would just cut it out with trying to use “hip” language.

Now, Dot only attended the youth group meeting so she can sneak out early and attend the raucous Club Sinister. Kelvin and Keefe, who used to attend the club regularly, end up going after Dot and save her from being arrested by police when the authorities shut down the party and her boyfriend flees. She appreciates Kelvin’s effort and seems to indicate that she’ll be attending the next youth group meeting. It’s a win for Kelvin and a huge confidence builder. It’ll be interesting to see Eli’s reaction and how it’ll create jealousy and friction between the other Gemstone’s after his affection.

read more: The Righteous Gemstones - Jody Hill and David Gordon Green on New HBO Series

Finally, Keefe’s material in the episode was certainly silly (I loved how they recreated the popular internet video of goths dancing), but oddly poignant. Keefe is a man caught between two worlds, his past with outcasts that polite society would deem unrespectable, and the regular average Joes that make up his small town with which he just can’t relate. At Club Sinister, Keefe feels his old life calling to him, but he instead chooses to leave with Kelvin, saying that he wants to follow “the incredible path” that Kelvin is on. Keefe clearly views Kelvin as some sort of personal savior, but there’s no telling where that odd hero worship could lead the vulnerable and impressionable Keefe.

Now that we’ve got up close and personal with most of the other supporting characters, I assume that we’ll be getting deep dives on Judy, and most importantly, Eli in the coming episodes. Though the true crime narrative has slowed a bit, the Gemstones world is engrossing enough and the performances are real enough that when shit starts to hit the fan, we’ll care about how the fallout impacts each individual member of the family.

Read and download the Den of Geek SDCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Nick Harley is a tortured Cleveland sports fan, thinks Douglas Sirk would have made a killer Batman movie, Spider-Man should be a big-budget HBO series, and Wes Anderson and Paul Thomas Anderson should direct a script written by one another. For more thoughts like these, read Nick's work here at Den of Geek or follow him on Twitter.

This Preacher review contains spoilers.

Preacher Season 4 Episode 7 

The buildup to the final episodes of Preacher have been, quite frankly, packed with a lot of crazy stuff. For example, Jesse Custer died last week, and he's buried in the Australian outback this week, much to the chagrin of Cas and Tulip. Granted, on Preacher, death is merely a relocation to a different plane of existence, and by no means does a character getting sent to Heaven or Hell actually get the character off of the show. You can't have Preacher without the titular preacher, even if some of the show's better episodes minimize his involvement.

The longer Jesse is sidelined, the easier it's going to be for the Grail to bring about the end of the world. With Jesse in the Outback, and the nuclear exchange between Australia and New Zealand causing battle lines to be drawn up, the mask of civility that the world normally wears has started to slip, to the point that the morning news anchors are starting to go off-script with dire warnings about how only God's intervention can back the world down from the brink of nuclear war. Meanwhile, against that backdrop, Cas and Tulip seem more concerned with getting revenge on God than actually saving His world. 

The revenge trip on God is an interesting set-up for a storyline, though it feels like it's a little bit too late in Preacher's run to be developed effectively. Then again, Cas and Tulip have a companion in their journey towards revenge on the Almighty in the form of the Saint of Killers, who has proven to be more than a match for powerful creatures thanks to his Colt Walker revolvers and their magical load. With Tulip and Cas seeking out the bait, perhaps the Saint—who watches the two bury Jesse early in the episode—will join in on the crusade, assuming there's not too much bad blood between the three of them. 

Certainly, bad blood between Fiore and Jesse seems to have been forgiven, based on just what Jesse sees during his time in the afterlife. Fiore is awfully insistent on drafting Jesse into his plan, even after Jesse dubs it a sin to sit on God's throne, even if it's God's will that he does so. Tom Brooke, who was very delightful during his original run on the show, is great to have back on, thanks in no small part to his deadpan comic timing and his ability to convey frustration through Fiore's unflappable demeanor. He's not happy about offering Jesse the Throne of God, but he's doing it just the same, if only to offer Jesse a way out of Hell in the process. Jesse's not especially tempted by the offer, as he deserves his fate based on his actions, but when Fiore offers him an explanation as to why God abandoned Creation, that seems to spark something more in Jesse.

further reading - Preacher: The Most Shocking Moments From the Comics

Explanation matters, and while Jesse gets a little glimpse of the why, Tulip receives the whole thing in the form of Jesse's letter. It's another beautiful moment of performance from Ruth Negga; she's simply reading a letter with unshed tears in her eyes, and after which she storms out to smash up and destroy what appears to be a church in an attempt to get God's attention. She fails at her first attempt, but she comes up with the idea for her second.

That's a fun running motif in Mark Stegemann's script. The first attempt to get someone's attention tends to fail. Witness, for example, God dismiss prayers with a flick of a finger and a churlish “no” until he finds out Genesis has escaped. The prayers did nothing, but the bad news did. The offer of power does nothing for Jesse, but the offer of knowledge does. Tulip burning down a church means nothing to God, but her plan to kidnap Humperdoo, the true one and not one of the clones, well... that'll get his attention.

To the credit of director Iain B. MacDonald, the episode moves very quickly, and is full of fun little touches. The smash cut between Cas telling the Australian egg farmer that he's going to eat his chickens into Tulip literally smashing pews is a solid one, and there's solid pacing throughout the episode, particularly in the scenes of Jesse and Fiore talking about Jesse taking the throne. 

Jesse's primary concern since learning about the apocalypse is stopping it, but will he be willing to sacrifice himself to do so? Or at least sacrifice his own morals to make the world-saving choice? Or will God get a third attempt to make the world in his own image with his strange new creation (that looks like a hot dog with feathers stuck in it)? Most of Jesse's life seems to be trying to live up to the dreams of others, like his father or his grandmother, but will he continue to do that even in death? It remains to be seen.

Keep up with Preacher Season 4 news and reviews here.

God may pay for his crimes yet! Preacher Season 4 is here.

Production moves to Australia for season 4, per a TVLine report. The original comic series by Garth Enis remained set in the United States (and other various heavenly and hellish realms) for the duration of its run so it's unlikely that Preacher will go the Leftovers Season 3 route and actually be set in Australia. It's more likely that Australia has some nice tax credits and is versatile enough geographically to resemble parts of the United States.

read more: HBO's Chernobly is More Terrifying Than You Think

Here is everything we know about Preacher season 4.

Preacher Season 4 Episode 8 Trailer

Take a look at the trailer for the next episode of Preacher season 4 below.

Preacher Season 4 Episode Guide

Preacher Season 4 Episode 1: Masada 

Jesse is rocked by visions of an apocalyptic future as he and Tulip prepare for an all-out assault on Masada, where Cassidy -- trapped to a tortuous fate -- struggles to hang on.

air date: 8/4/19

read our review of "Masada" here.

Preacher Season 4 Episode 2: Last Supper

God maneuvers his chess pieces while Jesse searches for a mysterious rock formation that may signal the end of his journey.

air date: 8/4/19

read our review of "Last Supper" here.

Preacher Season 4 Episode 3: Deviant

In her headfirst attempt to rescue Cassidy, Tulip may have bitten off more than she can chew, and she must reckon with the most terrifying thing she can imagine: psychiatric care. As his hopes of escape fade, Cassidy reflects on decisions he made one hundred years ago. Meanwhile, the Saint of Killers is closing in on Jesse.

air date: 8/11/19

read our review of "Deviant" here.

Preacher Season 4 Episode 4: Search and Rescue

Tulip teams with Jesus Christ to plumb Masada's dungeons to free whatever remains of Cassidy. Meanwhile, Jesse's mission to Australia may be over before it's even started.

air date: 8/18/19

Preacher Season 4 Episode 5: Bleak City

Reunions all around as Tulip finally makes her way to Cassidy, and Eugene catches up with his Preacher - though this reunion might be cut short by the bloody fury of the Saint of Killers.

air date: 8/25/19

read our review of "Bleak City" here.

Preacher Season 4 Episode 6: The Lost Apostle

Starr is desperately searching for the messiah as the clock ticks down to apocalypse; Tulip and Cass assume fake identities to track Jesse, but the Saint of Killers has him on a short leash, leading him straight toward an explosive end.

air date: 9/1/19

read our review of "The Lost Apostle" here.

Preacher Season 4 Episode 7: Messiahs

Tulip and Cassidy tear across the world, hell-bent on making God pay for the latest bloody twist in His plan; an old friend presents Jesse with a unique opportunity that could change everything.

air date: 9/8/19

Read our review of "Messiahs" here.

Preacher Season 4 Episode 8: Fear of the Lord

Cassidy and Tulip hide Humperdoo from the Grail, whose operatives are now searching both for their messiah -- and Starr; a tempted Jesse considers a powerful offer.

air date: 9/15/19

Preacher Season 4 Episode 9: Overture

Masada is abuzz as the Messiah has finally arrived; the heroes mount one last assault in a desperate attempt to thwart the end of the world, but God uses every trick in His omniscient arsenal to divide them; Eugene gets out of prison.

air date: 9/22/19

Preacher Season 4 Release Date

Preacher Season 4 is now officially set to premiere on AMC on August 4!

...The bad news? Season 4 will mark the end for the series, as co-creator/executive-producer Seth Rogen reveals in this apocalyptic tweet.

Preacher Season 4 Cast

Preacher Season 4 will have more use for its kind-of Messiah than in years' past. And that means an increase of role for one of the show's weirdest characters. Tyson Ritter has been upped to series regular to Preacher Season 4, according to Deadline. Ritter (who is also the frontman for band The All-American Rejects) plays Humperdoo, the tragically inbred descendant of Jesus Christ.

Preacher Season 4 Trailer

Finally! Here it is in all its profane glory. The Preacher season 4 trailer has arrived following the show's panel at SDCC 2019. Til the end of the world, friends. 

Here are some first looks at Preacher Season 4 courtesy of AMC. The first is titled "Jesus" and you'll see why in a minute.

Next up is "Nuke." The name is similarly self-explanatory.

Preacher Season 4 Photos

And here are some first look photos at PreacherSeason 4.

First up is the PreacherSeason 4 poster.

Now Jesse Custer, passing an important test.

Tulip looking pensieve.

Cassidy in his natural element.

Preacher Season 4 Details

“Preacher is a show unlike any other on television. A passionate base of fans found their way to Jesse, Tulip and Cassidy and have followed along with their adventures, at times indescribable adventures, for three seasons,” David Madden, president of programming for AMC Networks, said in a statement. “We are thankful to our partners at Sony and to Seth, Evan and Sam for everything they have brought to this series, which we are pleased to renew for a fourth season. Like the superfans of Preacher, we can’t wait to see where this journey leads next.”

AMC clearly loves its comic book adaptations and has all but declared that its flagship property, The Walking Dead, will last forever. Until now, Preacher hadn't been quite as lucky. Preacher Season 3's finale, "The Light Above," aired on August 26, 2018. It took until now for AMC to renew for Preacher Season 4. 

further reading: Preacher: Where the Saint of Killers' Journey Will Go 

Still, as AMC's statement suggests, it must have been hard to not want to keep working with Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Sam Catlin, Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, and Joseph Gilgun.

When Preacher Season 4 arrives there are still plenty of foes for Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy to confront. Angelville and the L'Angelles will be in the rearview but Herr Star and the Grail are still out there. As is The Saint of Killers, who is emboldened after killing Satan for funsies and his heading back to Earth to find Jesse with Eugene in tow. 

further reading: The Walking Dead: How to Fix Daryl Dixon

Read and download the Den of Geek SDCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Alec Bojalad is TV Editor at Den of Geek. Read more of his stuff here. Follow him at his creatively-named Twitter handle @alecbojalad