Spoiler Warning: This recap contains spoilers for MasterChef: Global Gauntlet Season 16, Episode 17, “Finale Part 1,” which aired Wednesday, September 9. After weeks of challenges, eliminations and dishes inspired by cuisines from around the world, MasterChef: Global Gauntlet has officially reached its final showdown. Heidi Muston, Jake Kelley and Peter Egede entered the kitchen as the final three home cooks of Season 16, with $250,000, the trophy and the title of America’s next MasterChef on the line. Of course, winning would require one final massive challenge. Gordon Ramsay, Tiffany Derry and Joe Bastianich tasked the finalists with creating a three-course menu consisting of an appetizer, entrée and dessert, with each dish inspired by their roots and their journeys through the competition. Friends, family and previously eliminated contestants returned to watch the final three compete, giving the finale the big-event atmosphere it deserved. Unfortunately, FOX decided we only needed to see part of that big event this week, but we'll get to that later. Peter Brings Nigerian Flavors to the Finale The appetizer round gave each finalist 60 minutes to prepare three identical plates for the judges, and Peter used his opening course to showcase the Nigerian flavors that have helped define his run throughout the competition. Peter served steamed red snapper with pepper soup broth, red pepper glaze and yam dumplings. The presentation immediately impressed the judges, while the cook on the fish and the refinement of the overall plate gave Peter a strong opening to the finale. Gordon liked the textures and presentation, while Tiffany praised the way the fish, dumpling and broth worked together. There was one issue, however, as Gordon found the broth slightly too salty. It wasn't enough to take away from what was otherwise a successful appetizer, but we're at the point in the competition where something as small as slightly too much salt could matter. Peter still walked away from the first course looking like a serious threat for the title. Heidi's Black Cod Gets Mixed Reviews Heidi went in a different direction with chili-marinated black cod accompanied by mango salsa, fennel salad and peri-peri cream sauce. Her fish was beautifully cooked, and visually there was plenty happening on the plate, but the judges weren't convinced everything surrounding the cod worked quite as well. Gordon felt the fish became lost underneath the other elements, while Tiffany wanted more of the peri-peri cream sauce to help bring everything together. Joe was even more critical of the composition, comparing what Heidi presented to a well-dressed salad. The good news for Heidi was that the main component of the dish wasn't the problem. She proved she could cook the black cod properly, but the judges wanted the rest of the plate to complement it rather than compete for attention. That left Heidi with more criticism than Jake or Peter received during the opening course. With two dishes remaining, there is still plenty of time for her to recover, but she didn't get the clean start she probably wanted. Jake's “Kraken” Taco Makes a Big Impression Then came Jake, who served a dish called “Kraken,” featuring ruby prawn and octopus in a taco with avocado crema and aguachile rojo sauce. After watching Jake steadily grow throughout the season, this felt like the kind of dish that showed exactly how far he has come. The judges were clearly impressed. Gordon praised the taco as one of the most impressive he had tasted, while Joe felt Jake successfully tapped into modern Mexican cuisine. Tiffany loved the char on the octopus and the overall experience of eating the dish, although she did note that his tortilla was slightly dry. That was a relatively small criticism compared to the reaction to the dish as a whole. MasterChef didn't officially declare Jake the winner of the appetizer round, but if we're judging purely by the comments at the table, he certainly seemed to leave the first course with the most momentum. Peter wasn't far behind him, which makes the battle between those two especially interesting heading into the next courses. Heidi has some ground to make up, but one appetizer isn't going to decide a three-course finale. The Entrée Round Begins And Then FOX Makes Us Wait With the appetizers finished, the finalists immediately moved into their entrées. Gordon described the second course as the heart of their menus, putting even more pressure on Heidi, Jake and Peter to show the judges who they are as cooks and why they deserve the title. The pressure started building quickly, particularly for Peter as he encountered trouble while working with his steaks. It looked like we were finally getting into the real meat of the finale, literally and figuratively, when the episode ended before any of the entrées reached the judges' table. And this is where we have a small complaint for FOX: Did this really need to be stretched across two weeks? A two-hour finale airing in one night would have worked perfectly here. We already spent the hour getting invested in the finalists' menus, watched the entire appetizer round and then started the entrée cook, only to stop right in the middle and be told to come back next Wednesday. There's nothing wrong with giving the finale room to breathe, but making viewers wait an entire week for the second half feels unnecessary when FOX could have turned the whole thing into a two-hour finale event. At least the first hour gave us something to debate while we wait. Jake appears to have the early edge after his impressive taco, Peter is right there with him, and Heidi needs her entrée and dessert to make a stronger statement after the mixed response to her appetizer. More importantly, all three finalists are still alive in the competition. The entrées will finally reach the judges in Finale Part 2, followed by dessert and the crowning of the Season 16 winner. MasterChef: Global Gauntlet concludes Wednesday, September 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.

Jim Geoghan, the veteran television writer and producer who co-created the Disney Channel hit The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, has died. He was 79. Geoghan died Sunday, September 6, in Los Angeles, according to reports citing confirmation from his daughter. His death prompted tributes from members of the Suite Life family, including Cole Sprouse and Kim Rhodes, who remembered the producer who helped shape one of Disney Channel’s defining comedies of the 2000s. Geoghan co-created The Suite Life of Zack & Cody alongside Danny Kallis. The series premiered on Disney Channel in 2005 and starred Dylan and Cole Sprouse as twin brothers Zack and Cody Martin, who lived at Boston’s fictional Tipton Hotel with their mother, Carey, played by Rhodes. Brenda Song, Ashley Tisdale and Phill Lewis also starred in the comedy, which ran for three seasons and became one of the network’s signature shows of its era. Its success eventually led to the spinoff The Suite Life on Deck, which followed Zack and Cody as they traded the Tipton for life aboard the S.S. Tipton. Following news of Geoghan’s death, Cole Sprouse remembered him as a major presence during the young cast’s formative years. In a tribute shared on social media, Sprouse described Geoghan as a “wonderful person and wonderful leader on set” and reflected on how important he was to the lives of the cast during their years making the series. Rhodes, who played Zack and Cody’s mother, also shared a heartfelt remembrance of Geoghan, highlighting a relationship that continued long after their time together on the Disney Channel series. While a generation of viewers will immediately associate Geoghan with The Suite Life, his television career stretched across decades. His credits included work on shows such as Family Matters, Three’s Company, The Facts of Life, Silver Spoons and It’s Garry Shandling’s Show. Still, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody became an enduring part of his legacy. More than two decades after its premiere, the series remains closely tied to a generation that grew up watching Disney Channel and helped launch its young stars into careers that continued well beyond the Tipton Hotel. Geoghan is survived by his family. He was 79.

Thursday has decided that simply having a football game wasn't enough. The National Football League is playing its first regular-season game in Australia, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives returns for a shortened fifth season, Project Runway crowns its Season 22 winner, and Colin From Accounts drops its third and final season. Netflix also has a particularly busy release day with Crew Girl, The Perfect Lie and Call My Agent! The Movie. Broadcast television is considerably quieter, with ABC, NBC and FOX mostly running repeats ahead of their fall premieres. CBS still has a live Big Brother eviction at 8 PM and a fall preview special afterward, while The CW marks the approaching 25th anniversary of September 11 with 9/11 Remembered: 25 Years Later. TV Cave Top Pick: The NFL Goes to Australia We had plenty of good streaming options today, but the NFL playing its first regular-season game in Australia is the kind of television event that gets the Top Pick. The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams meet at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with kickoff scheduled for 8:35 PM ET exclusively on Netflix nationally in the United States. Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 PM ET. Because Melbourne is 14 hours ahead of the East Coast, the teams will actually be playing at 10:35 Friday morning local time. The scheduling alone is fascinating. San Francisco arrived in Australia roughly a week before the game, while Los Angeles chose an entirely different strategy and landed Thursday morning local time after experimenting with travel plans during the offseason. That means we're about to find out whether acclimating for a week or essentially treating a 16-hour flight like the world's longest team bus ride was the better idea. Netflix gets the game before the regular Thursday package moves to Prime Video next week. The streamer has already handled live NFL games, but a divisional matchup between the Rams and 49ers from a stadium nearly 8,000 miles from California is something else entirely. That's our TV Cave Top Pick. Also, somewhere in Melbourne, people are preparing to eat breakfast while watching NFL football. We respect it. Thursday, September 10 TV Schedule Time (ET) Show Network/Streaming Tonight Streaming The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Hulu / Disney+ Season 5 premiere; all 5 episodes Streaming Colin From Accounts Paramount+ Third and final season premiere Streaming Crew Girl Netflix Eight-episode series premiere Streaming The Perfect Lie Netflix Seven-episode series premiere Streaming Call My Agent! The Movie Netflix Original movie premiere Streaming Cooper and Fry BritBox Two-episode North American premiere Streaming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Paramount+ S4E8, “Orders of Magnitude” 8:00 PM Big Brother CBS / Paramount+ Live eviction 8:00 PM The Real Housewives of Orange County Bravo S20E10, “Forbidden Fruit” 8:00 PM Florida A&M at No. 7 Miami ACC Network College football Week 2 9:00 PM A Killer Story HBO / HBO Max Three-part docuseries premiere 9:00 PM CBS Fall First Look CBS Fall preview special 9:00 PM 9/11 Remembered: 25 Years Later The CW Anniversary special 10:00 PM Project Runway Freeform Season 22 finale 8:35 PM 49ers vs. Rams Netflix First NFL regular-season game in Australia Mormon Wives Returns With a Shorter Season #MomTok is back, although this season is considerably shorter than usual. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives returns today on Hulu with all five Season 5 episodes, with the season also available through Disney+ for eligible subscribers. The condensed run comes after production was interrupted earlier this year, but Taylor Frankie Paul, Whitney Leavitt, Jen Affleck, Jessi Draper, Layla Taylor, Mayci Neeley, Mikayla Matthews and Miranda Hope are all back. The group enters the season in very different places. Whitney's career has taken her to Broadway, while the friendships back in Utah continue shifting and several members begin questioning whether remaining part of MomTok is actually worth everything that comes with it. Five episodes may sound like a light workload, but this is Mormon Wives. These women have historically demonstrated an impressive ability to fit approximately six months of interpersonal conflict into 47 minutes. Colin From Accounts Says Goodbye Ashley and Gordon have reached the end of their wonderfully messy little love story. Colin From Accounts releases its third and final season today on Paramount+ in the United States, with all eight episodes available at once. Creators and stars Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall return as Ashley and Gordon, whose relationship began because of a car accident and an injured dog and somehow turned into one of television's funniest modern romances. The series has always worked because neither Ashley nor Gordon suddenly became functional adults just because they fell in love. Season 3 continues dealing with relationships, family and the general complications that happen when two imperfect people decide they're going to keep choosing each other anyway. Paramount+ has confirmed this is the final season, so anybody who has been following these two since Colin first brought them together can binge the entire ending today. Netflix Launches Crew Girl Netflix is clearly hoping viewers aren't finished with wealthy teenagers, complicated romances and schools where everybody seems to have considerably more free time than the average student. Crew Girl premieres with all eight episodes today, starring Miku Martineau as Teagan Tao, a talented 16-year-old rower whose life gets turned upside down after a family scandal forces her to start over at an elite East Coast prep school. There is one immediate problem: the school doesn't have a girls' rowing team. Teagan's solution is to become coxswain of the boys' varsity crew, which means convincing a group of athletes who don't particularly want her leadership that they should listen anyway. Naturally, Netflix also gives her a romantic problem involving team captain Josh and underestimated rower Cam, because apparently getting eight teenage boys to row in the same direction wasn't enough stress. Project Runway Crowns Its Season 22 Winner After beginning with 22 designers, the largest cast in the show's history, Project Runway reaches its Season 22 finale tonight at 10 PM ET on Freeform. Anna Molinari, Jude Mikulencak and Bi Pham secured finale spots last week, but Heidi Klum ended the episode with a surprise: there would be a fourth finalist. Joseph McRae, Naheim Muhammad and Bryan Barrientos were left waiting to find out who earned that final position. Tonight the finalists present their original capsule collections before Klum, Nina Garcia and Law Roach, with Tyra Banks returning as a guest judge and Christian Siriano continuing as mentor. Four designers. One runway. And at least one person backstage quietly pretending they absolutely meant for that zipper to look like that. Big Brother Has Another Live Eviction Big Brother continues Season 28 at 8 PM ET on CBS, with the show's regular Thursday live eviction episode. CBS currently lists new episodes on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, with the occasional Friday Big Brother: Unlocked joining the schedule. Only eight Houseguests remained entering this week's cycle, and Sunday's episode made it clear that some of the season's longest-running relationships are beginning to crack. Dee and Devens, in particular, have reached the portion of the game where “ride-or-die” starts sounding considerably less permanent when $750,000 is waiting at the end. Thursday is where all that strategizing has consequences. Somebody is heading to jury tonight, and everybody left in the house gets one step closer to realizing they probably should have voted out their biggest threat three weeks ago. HBO Opens A Killer Story HBO enters the increasingly crowded true-crime field tonight at 9 PM ET with the premiere of the three-part documentary series A Killer Story. The series examines the long-running Dana Chandler case surrounding the 2002 murders of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness in Topeka, Kansas. Chandler was eventually convicted, but the legal story stretched across more than two decades, multiple trials and questions surrounding the prosecution. Rather than simply retelling the crime, the documentary follows the people who became consumed by questions surrounding the case, including investigative journalist Joe Sexton and Eileen and Keen Umbehr. New episodes continue Thursdays through September 24. Star Trek Has Three Episodes Left Star Trek: Strange New Worlds continues Season 4 today on Paramount+ with Episode 8, “Orders of Magnitude.” The episode arrives after last week's wonderfully strange soap-opera experiment and clocks in at roughly an hour, making it one of the longer installments of the season. Only two episodes remain after today, with the Season 4 finale scheduled for September 24. That's probably worth remembering before pressing play. We're officially past the “fun standalone adventures with plenty of season left” portion of the schedule. The Enterprise is approaching finale territory. Netflix Also Reunites the Call My Agent! Crew Netflix has another returning favorite today with Call My Agent! The Movie, which reunites the original French comedy's characters five years after the ASK agency closed. Camille Cottin returns as Andréa Martel, who has moved from talent agent to film director. Her first feature begins falling apart when the lead actor leaves days before production, forcing Andréa to call the old ASK team back together. The movie runs just under two hours and brings back much of the original ensemble while adding celebrity cameos. For fans who thought the 2020 series finale wasn't enough time with these people, Netflix has essentially handed them one more spectacular workplace emergency. And that pretty much sums up Thursday: Mormon Wives drama, Big Brother eviction drama, Project Runway finale drama, French talent-agent drama and two NFL teams flying across the Pacific to play football at breakfast time. Television is apparently done easing us into fall.

Why can’t anybody find Spencer? Is this a budget thing?? Seriously, where is Spencer James? We are ten episodes into the season and this man is basically missing in action. I’m starting to think this is either some major storyline that we aren’t supposed to understand yet or somebody behind the scenes is trying to save the budget. Either way, his absence is definitely being felt because everybody keeps bringing him up! We start off with KJ trying his best to hold things down at the showcase while Khalil is still talking to his mom over at Layla’s place. One thing I really liked about this episode was hearing Cassius narrate the opening. It was a nice change of pace and gave the episode a different feel right from the beginning. Then Layla arrives, and things immediately get serious because Liv is in pre-term labor. The doctor makes it clear that Liv needs to stay as stress-free as possible, which is easier said than done considering everything happening around this family. Meanwhile, Cliff is back talking to the coaches and doing what Cliff does best: talking all his BULL CRAP. KJ overhears him, but before things can really go any further, his mother shows up. Angel Parker returns this week, and it was honestly good to see her back. KJ fills her in on everything happening with his dad, Jordan and Olivia, and you can tell he is genuinely worried about Cliff and the mess he is creating. She plans on handling things herself until Cliff decides to introduce himself. Cassius, meanwhile, is offering to do anything and everything he can for Layla, Jordan and Olivia. He even ignores Ava’s phone call, which is becoming a bigger problem as the episode goes on. Cassius is clearly overwhelmed, and it feels like his entire life is up in the air right now. This show is extremely dramatic, but I can’t lie, I can’t get enough of it. Jordan is freaking out, and while all of this is happening, he asks Layla about her meeting. She tells him that she may be selling her record label, and Jordan is definitely not happy about that. Coop comes in and interrupts, but she is also concerned because Spencer is STILL nowhere to be found. They can’t even get in touch with his agent. His agent is headed to the hotel to see if she can find any clues. Again, I really don’t know why Spencer is MIA, but the show is making this extremely dramatic. Coop eventually runs into Cassius at the house while he is organizing everything. Coop starts critiquing his choices, and honestly, it was a pretty funny moment. We don’t get to see Coop and Cassius interact that much, so I enjoyed seeing them bounce off each other. Of course, Cassius ignores Ava’s call again. Avoiding his problems is becoming a BIG issue for him, but I guess that is how he wants to handle things. And then Jordan nearly faints at the hospital! Coop gets to the photo shoot and security gives her a hard time. Luckily, an assistant recognizes her and takes over. That security guard was a certified clown. Like, everybody knows Spencer James’ best friend! Come on now! The doctor wants to admit Jordan after he faints, but she tells him he better eat something and stop harassing her staff. Cassius goes to get Jordan some food, and Ava tracks him down thanks to Layla. She proceeds to tell him about himself, and honestly, he needed to hear it. Ava even has the other patrons watching while she gets everything off her chest. Cassius has been running from his problems all episode, and Ava finally forces him to deal with them. Coop is still getting harassed by reporters when she returns home, and she is on the phone with Spencer’s agent. They STILL can’t find him. Then we find out some random girl shows up at his shoot, and nobody knows who she is. At this point, I have so many questions about Spencer that I don’t even know where to start. We are also reminded that Preach is still in prison, because apparently this man cannot catch a break. Ava finally gets the explanation she has been looking for from Cassius. She knows about the reproposal thanks to KJ, and she wants Cassius to finally stand up for the family he actually created. Then Cassius drops the bombshell about the Beverly coaching job. I understand why he was embarrassed to tell her, but at the same time, he needs to give Ava more credit. She tells him they made vows to each other, for better or worse, and eventually forgives him. That was a really good moment because Cassius needed somebody to remind him that he doesn't have to carry everything by himself. Back at the house, Khalil runs into Miranda and opens up about his abandonment issues stemming from his relationship with his mom. He admits that he jumped into this relationship for the wrong reasons, and the two of them end things on a pretty good note. I actually liked this conversation because Khalil is finally acknowledging some of the baggage he has been carrying around. And then Cassius finally puts Cliff in his place! I felt good for him at that moment. Cliff has been doing way too much, and Cassius finally standing up to him was one of my favorite moments of the episode. Coop is pouring her heart out on the phone to Spencer, but then she gets an idea. She decides to use that thirsty reporter to get a message to Spencer. In exchange, she will give him an exclusive on Preach. Honestly, I’m curious to see if this plan actually works because at this point, somebody needs to find Spencer James! KJ is extremely excited that his family is finally back together, for real this time, and that was honestly really heartwarming to see. After everything that has happened, seeing him happy and feeling like his family is finally coming together was a nice moment. Cassius eventually sits down and writes his father a message about family. He then calls Jordan and officially steps down. He asks Jordan to take KJ in if he ends up leaving the area because he refuses to uproot his son again. Jordan agrees. And just when it feels like everything is finally settling down, Jordan gets notified that they can finally see Liv. This episode had a LOT going on, but somehow it worked. The Spencer mystery continues to be the biggest question mark, but the emotional storylines involving Cassius, Ava, KJ and Khalil were probably the strongest parts of the episode for me. Cassius finally taking responsibility and choosing his family was a big step for his character. “All That I Got Is You” was another very dramatic episode of All American, but that’s exactly why I keep coming back. The show knows how to keep throwing problems at these characters, and somehow I’m always invested in seeing how they get themselves out of them.

Nearly 30 years after Buffy Summers first crossed paths with Angel, Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz are headed to the Emmys. Gellar and Boreanaz are among the first group of presenters announced for the 78th Emmy Awards, setting the stage for a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunion when television's biggest night airs Monday, Sept. 14 on NBC and Peacock. The Television Academy announced the first wave of presenters Wednesday, with Gellar and Boreanaz joining a lineup that includes Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Sally Field, Amy Poehler, Jon Hamm, Keke Palmer, Alan Cumming, Niecy Nash-Betts, Macaulay Culkin and more. For Buffy fans, however, seeing Gellar and Boreanaz on the same list immediately stands out. Gellar starred as Buffy Summers throughout all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, while Boreanaz originated the role of Angel, Buffy's vampire love interest, before leaving the series to headline the spinoff Angel. Their relationship became one of the defining romances of the Buffyverse and remains a source of debate among fans decades later. The timing makes the reunion even more fitting. Buffy the Vampire Slayer will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its 1997 premiere in March 2027, while the franchise has found new life in recent years. Although both stars are officially confirmed as presenters, the Television Academy has not revealed whether Gellar and Boreanaz will actually present an award together. Still, with both appearing on the same telecast and the Emmys leaning into several nostalgic reunions this year, the possibility of Buffy and Angel sharing the stage again is certainly there. They aren't the only classic TV favorites reuniting at the ceremony. Original Charlie's Angels stars Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd are also among the presenters as the iconic series celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026. Additional Emmy presenters are expected to be announced ahead of the ceremony. The 78th Emmy Awards will be hosted by Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay and broadcast live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Monday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock. Whether Gellar and Boreanaz ultimately walk onto that Emmy stage together remains to be seen, but for Buffy fans, simply having Buffy and Angel back in the same room is enough reason to tune in.

The biggest night in television is almost here, which means it’s time to make some predictions. The 78th Emmy Awards will hand out television’s biggest prizes on Monday, September 14, with plenty of competitive races across drama, comedy and limited series. The Pitt is looking for another big night, Hacks remains a major comedy contender, and shows including Pluribus, DTF St. Louis, The Comeback and Margo’s Got Money Troubles could shake things up. Rather than attempt to predict every award handed out on Emmy night, The TV Cave is sticking with the categories most viewers will be watching: Outstanding Series and the lead and supporting acting races across drama, comedy and limited or anthology series. Some of these feel like safe bets. Others could make us look very smart or very wrong by the end of the night. Here are The TV Cave’s predictions for the 2026 Emmy Awards. The TV Cave’s 2026 Emmy Predictions Emmy Category The TV Cave Predicts Outstanding Drama Series The Pitt Lead Actor — Drama Sterling K. Brown — Paradise Lead Actress — Drama Rhea Seehorn — Pluribus Supporting Actor — Drama Patrick Ball — The Pitt Supporting Actress — Drama Katherine LaNasa — The Pitt Outstanding Comedy Series Hacks Lead Actor — Comedy Matthew Rhys — Widow’s Bay Lead Actress — Comedy Lisa Kudrow — The Comeback Supporting Actor — Comedy Colman Domingo — The Four Seasons Supporting Actress — Comedy Michelle Pfeiffer — Margo’s Got Money Troubles Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series DTF St. Louis Lead Actor — Limited/Anthology/Movie Charlie Hunnam — Monster: The Ed Gein Story Lead Actress — Limited/Anthology/Movie Sally Field — Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette Supporting Actor — Limited/Anthology/Movie Jason Bateman — DTF St. Louis Supporting Actress — Limited/Anthology/Movie Linda Cardellini — DTF St. Louis We’re Betting on The Pitt — But Not a Sweep The Pitt gets our vote for Outstanding Drama Series, and we’re expecting the show to have another strong night. Patrick Ball and Katherine LaNasa are also our choices in the supporting races, giving the medical drama three wins on our prediction board. Where we’re breaking away from The Pitt is in the lead categories. Instead of Noah Wyle, we’re predicting Sterling K. Brown will take Lead Actor for Paradise. Brown has been an awards favorite for years, and his performance as Xavier Collins gives him another opportunity to remind Emmy voters why. For Lead Actress, we’re going with Rhea Seehorn for Pluribus. Seehorn spent years delivering Emmy-worthy work without taking home the trophy for Better Call Saul, and Pluribus has given her another showcase. With Carrie Coon, Keri Russell and Zendaya among the competition, this is hardly an easy race, but we’re sticking with Seehorn. Hacks Takes Comedy, But Lisa Kudrow Gets Her Moment We’re predicting Hacks will take Outstanding Comedy Series, but we don’t expect it to dominate every comedy category. One of our bigger swings comes in Lead Actor, where we’re choosing Matthew Rhys for Widow’s Bay. Rhys has long shown his ability to move between drama and comedy, and we’re betting Emmy voters respond to his latest performance. Then there’s Lisa Kudrow. Jean Smart is always difficult to bet against, but we’re picking Kudrow for Lead Actress for her return as Valerie Cherish in The Comeback. Nearly two decades after the series first introduced Valerie, there would be something fitting about watching Kudrow finally take home an Emmy for the character. In the supporting races, Colman Domingo gets our vote for The Four Seasons, while Michelle Pfeiffer is our choice for Margo’s Got Money Troubles. DTF St. Louis Could Have a Very Big Night If there’s one place where we’re putting a lot of our imaginary Emmy money, it’s DTF St. Louis. We’re predicting the series will win Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series while also taking both supporting acting categories with Jason Bateman and Linda Cardellini. Bateman has been an Emmy favorite for years, while Cardellini has built a career out of performances that can shift between funny, heartbreaking and complicated without ever feeling forced. If Emmy voters are as high on DTF St. Louis as we think they might be, both could benefit. We’re going elsewhere in the lead categories, however. Charlie Hunnam is our prediction for Lead Actor for Monster: The Ed Gein Story, while Sally Field gets our vote for Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. Field is already a three-time Emmy winner, and betting against Sally Field when she has strong material has never seemed like particularly good business. How Many Will We Get Right? Fifteen predictions. Plenty of opportunities to brag and plenty of opportunities for this article to come back and haunt us. Our biggest bets are on The Pitt, Hacks and DTF St. Louis, but some of the acting races are where we’re taking our biggest chances. Sterling K. Brown over Noah Wyle, Lisa Kudrow in a category with Jean Smart, and Matthew Rhys in Lead Actor could end up being some of the predictions that decide whether we look brilliant or completely missed the mark. Either way, we’ll find out soon enough. The 78th Emmy Awards air Monday, September 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and stream live and on demand on Peacock.

I never thought I would see Magenta and Blue Beetle kissing, but this movie gave me a DC crossover! Sandra Bullock always gets a new man, and well, I get it!! She looks amazing!!! Also this film feels like a soft reboot of the franchise. The Owens sisters are back for another adventure, and while this one doesn’t really raise the stakes all that much, I still found myself enjoying it. I’m going to be honest, I just watched the first Practical Magic Monday afternoon. While I enjoyed the performances from Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as Sally and Gillian, I felt like the story was lacking. The first movie was definitely darker, which makes sense considering it’s a movie about witches, but between the family curse and the random, very weak villain, I was ultimately a little let down. That led me into the sequel, and Practical Magic 2 is basically a complete 180 in terms of tone, characterization and overall feel. Sally is once again widowed after thinking the curse was broken in the first movie, which honestly was a stupid decision from a writing stand point if you ask me! This time around, we also end up losing two major characters. I don’t want to spoil too much, so I’ll let you sit with that because those moments definitely caught me off guard. When it comes to the story, it is more or less the same setup. The curse is back, the Owens family has to deal with it, and everybody has to figure out how to break it. The difference this time is that the movie leans much harder into comedy. The jokes and one-liners are everywhere, and Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are absolutely on their A-game. Honestly, it feels like 99% of their scenes were improv, and I loved it. Their chemistry is still the best thing about these movies. Gillian especially has way more of a presence this time around. In the first movie, I felt like she was more of a plot device at times, but here she actually feels like a character who belongs in the story. Sally’s daughters are also all grown up, and we get to welcome Joey King as Kylie and Maisie Williams as Antonia. I thought both of them were great in their roles. Joey gets a little more to do because the story mostly revolves around Kylie and her new love interest Gideon, played by Blue Beetle star Xolo Maridueña. And yes, watching Joey King and Xolo Maridueña kiss on screen had me thinking about how wild it is that Magenta and Blue Beetle are now a couple. DC crossover confirmed! The curse is back, and this time it takes its toll on Kylie. We also find out that Sally wiped her daughters’ memories of their family heritage when they were younger. Honestly, I thought that was a pretty lazy storytelling decision, especially because the movie eventually undoes that choice once Kylie starts exploring her family history again after the horrible incident that takes place. That brings me to the biggest problem I had with the movie: the story. While the villain and overall plot let me down, I had non-stop laughs during my viewing. The comedy was on point. A lot of it is physical humor, but there are also so many non-verbal comedic moments that just put a smile on my face. Sandra and Nicole know exactly how to play off each other, and that chemistry carries a lot of this movie. They also try to expand the Owens family mythology, but honestly, I thought that part was kind of weak. There are some interesting ideas here, but I never felt like the movie fully took advantage of them. At the end of the day, Practical Magic 2 is a movie I enjoyed more than I expected to. I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it. For me, story is the most important part of any movie, and unfortunately, that was the weakest part of this one. But Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are so much fun together that they kept me entertained the entire time. I’m giving Practical Magic 2 a solid 7/10.

There’s something comforting about seeing the Why Did I Get Married? crew together again. These are characters audiences have known for years, and Why Did I Get Married Again? understands that nostalgia is a huge part of why people are showing up for another chapter. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed spending time with this group again, I walked away wishing the writing had given them a stronger reason to return. The movie catches up with the couples years after we last saw them, and one thing I appreciated was how much attention Tyler Perry gives to what happened during that time. Rather than simply dropping us back into these characters’ lives and expecting us to fill in the blanks, the movie provides some backstory and attempts to show how everyone arrived at where they are today. That was important because it has been a long time since Why Did I Get Married Too?, and these relationships obviously weren't going to remain frozen in place. I enjoyed those connections to the earlier films and seeing familiar dynamics return. There is still something fun about watching this particular group interact, especially for viewers who have been with them since the beginning. However, if you did not tune in to Angela and Marcus' television series, you may have been a little lost. Perhaps some flashbacks to that time could have filled in the gaps for the audience. Where Why Did I Get Married Again? lost me was in some of the writing choices. There were moments when I found myself questioning whether certain developments really made sense for characters we already know. The kids getting married, in particular, frustrated me. Some of the story felt dragged out, and the way certain relationship issues were handled left me wondering why we had taken such a long road to get to a relatively simple resolution. That's part of the larger problem with the movie. There are storylines that appear ready to produce a major emotional fallout, only for the payoff to feel much smaller than the buildup suggested. In other places, the film moves through developments so quickly that I wanted more time to understand how the characters actually felt about what was happening. Why Did I Get Married Again? (L-R) Jaden Michael as T.J, Charles L. Smith as Denver and Everett Osborne as Wesley in Why Did I Get Married Again? Cr. Charles Bergman/Perry Well Films 2/Netflix I especially wanted more from the younger generation. Bringing the kids into the story gives Perry an opportunity to move the franchise forward, but I don't think the movie explores their perspectives enough. We hear about major events and relationships affecting this extended family, yet there were moments when I wanted to hear more directly from the children about how those changes affected them. We also breezed through who everyone was and I started getting confused on which kid belonged to which legacy character. And yes, there were a few things that had me sitting there thinking, Wait…what? Still, I don't want to make it sound like I disliked the entire movie, because I didn't. There are things here that I genuinely enjoyed, and simply having this cast back together carries a certain amount of goodwill. The chemistry and history between these characters remain one of the franchise's biggest strengths, and when the movie leans into that familiarity, it works. The problem is that nostalgia can only do so much. A third Why Did I Get Married? movie had the opportunity to show us how marriage, friendship, parenthood and relationships evolve after nearly two decades. Some of that is here, but I wanted the story to dig deeper. Instead, several conflicts either feel stretched longer than necessary or aren't explored with enough depth once they're introduced. I understand Tyler Perry's brand, and anyone familiar with his work knows the type of storytelling they're walking into. I've enjoyed plenty of his movies and shows over the years. But Why Did I Get Married Again? didn't hit for me the way the earlier films did. It isn't a disaster, and longtime fans will probably find something to enjoy simply from seeing everyone together again. I certainly did. I just wish the reunion had been backed by writing strong enough to make this return feel necessary rather than simply familiar. Why does Tyler Perry do this to me every time? At this point, it's my fault. Grade: C

The wait for more Rivals is almost over. The hit series will return with the second half of Season 2 on November 11, 2026, bringing viewers back into the scandalous world of Rutshire for six more episodes. Season 2 originally kicked off earlier this year before taking a midseason break, so November 11 isn't a new season premiere but the continuation fans have been waiting for. In the United States, three new episodes will arrive on Hulu on November 11, with the remaining episodes rolling out weekly. Based on Dame Jilly Cooper's bestselling Rutshire Chronicles, Rivals takes place in the ruthless world of 1980s British television, where professional ambition, personal grudges and plenty of complicated relationships collide. The series has built an ensemble around the bitter rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black and Lord Tony Baddingham, with the battle between the two men affecting nearly everyone in their orbit. The cast includes David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner, Nafessa Williams, Katherine Parkinson, Bella Maclean, Emily Atack and Danny Dyer, among others. Season 2 has continued expanding the world established during the show's first run while raising the stakes for its characters both professionally and personally. The November return means viewers won't have to wait until 2027 to find out what comes next. With six episodes still remaining, there's plenty of time for the relationships and rivalries at the center of the series to take a few more turns before Season 2 reaches its conclusion. Rivals Season 2 returns Wednesday, November 11 on Hulu in the U.S. with three episodes. New episodes will follow weekly.

R.J. Decker is adding some serious acting pedigree to the family. Emmy and Golden Globe winner Beau Bridges has joined the ABC drama for its second season, and his character comes with a very personal connection to Scott Speedman’s R.J. Decker. Bridges will play R.J.’s estranged father, opening the door for the series to dig deeper into the private life of its disgraced former newspaper photographer turned private investigator. The casting immediately raises some interesting questions about R.J.’s past. An estranged parent rarely arrives on television without some baggage attached, and considering the complicated man viewers already know R.J. to be, meeting his father could provide a few answers about how he became that way. Just how much Bridges’ character will factor into the larger Season 2 story remains to be seen. Bridges brings decades of television and film experience to the role. His extensive résumé includes The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Descendants, Masters of Sex and Homeland, while more recent television appearances have included Lessons in Chemistry and Matlock. Casting an actor of his caliber as R.J.’s father certainly suggests the series has more planned for the character than a simple family reunion. R.J. Decker stars Speedman as the title character, a former newspaper photographer whose career imploded before he reinvented himself as a private investigator in South Florida. The series is inspired by Carl Hiaasen’s novel Double Whammy, with its Florida setting giving the show plenty of room for strange cases, colorful characters and the kind of offbeat humor associated with Hiaasen’s work. The television adaptation has also been building its own version of R.J.’s world rather than simply following the novel beat for beat. Bringing his estranged father into the picture gives Season 2 another opportunity to expand R.J. beyond the mysteries he investigates and explore the relationships that helped shape him. Speedman leads the cast alongside Jaina Lee Ortiz, Bevin Bru, Kevin Rankin and Adelaide Clemens. With Bridges now entering R.J.’s already complicated life, Season 2 may be getting considerably more personal for its private investigator. R.J. Decker Season 2 premieres Tuesday, September 15 on ABC.

Fans waited years for Matt Shade and Angie Everett to finally figure out what was happening between them on Private Eyes. Now, Jason Priestley and Cindy Sampson are back, and their characters have moved well beyond the “will they or won’t they?” stage. The new trailer for Private Eyes West Coast reveals just how much has changed since viewers last saw the pair. Five years have passed, Shade and Angie are married, they’ve traded Toronto for Victoria, British Columbia, and they’re now parents to a baby boy named Declan. They also stepped away from the private investigation business, although anyone familiar with these two probably knows that was never going to last. The trailer finds Angie getting pulled toward another case while Shade isn't quite as eager to return to their old lifestyle. Parenthood has changed the stakes, and Shade points out that they can’t simply go back to the way things used to be. Their solution appears to be a new version of the business that fits their new life, including setting up their agency at home. That gives Private Eyes West Coast a familiar foundation without simply recreating the original series. Shade and Angie still have their chemistry, banter and unusual cases to solve, but marriage and parenthood add another layer to their partnership. Instead of wondering whether these two will ever get together, the new series gets to explore what happens after they actually do. The move west also gives the franchise a new playground. With their old Toronto network behind them, Shade and Angie have to build new relationships while taking on cases across British Columbia. The season will include investigations ranging from a missing student in the wilderness to a case involving a surfer in Tofino. Priestley isn't only returning in front of the camera. The actor, who also serves as an executive producer, directs two episodes of the new season. Sarah Dodd and Jennifer Kassabian serve as co-creators, co-showrunners and executive producers. Private Eyes West Coast continues the story that began with Private Eyes, which originally followed former professional hockey player Shade as he teamed with private investigator Angie Everett. The original series ran for five seasons before concluding in 2021, with Shade and Angie finally sharing the kiss viewers had been waiting for. This time, there’s no waiting to find out where their relationship stands. They have a marriage, a baby and a new city and apparently, solving mysteries is still a difficult habit to break. Private Eyes West Coast premieres Monday, October 5 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW. Check out the new trailer here.

Landman is adding another heavy hitter for Season 3, and this time Taylor Sheridan is bringing over a familiar face from another Paramount+ drama. Emmy-nominated actor Michael Kelly has joined the hit series as a new series regular, playing a character who sounds ready to shake up the already cutthroat West Texas oil business. Kelly will play William Crockett, described as the leader of the largest oil management firm in the world. Paramount+ calls Crockett a “titan of industry,” with everything about him exuding efficiency and money. That description alone makes it clear that Landman isn't bringing Kelly aboard for a minor detour, especially with the actor officially joining the series-regular cast. Exactly how Crockett fits into Tommy Norris' increasingly complicated world hasn't been revealed. Billy Bob Thornton returns as Tommy, while Season 3 also features Demi Moore, Andy Garcia, Ali Larter and Sam Elliott. Jacob Lofland, Michelle Randolph, Paulina Chávez, Kayla Wallace, Mark Collie, James Jordan and Colm Feore are also part of the ensemble. Crockett's position at the top of a massive oil management firm could put him directly in the path of several of Landman's established power players. The series has always used the oil business to explore the people making fortunes at every level of the industry, from roughnecks working dangerous jobs in the field to billionaires making decisions far removed from the wells themselves. Adding someone with Crockett's reach gives Season 3 another potentially formidable figure at the very top. The casting also keeps Kelly firmly inside Taylor Sheridan's television universe. He currently stars as Byron Westfield on Lioness, where he appears opposite Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman. Kelly's television résumé also includes The Penguin, Jack Ryan, The Comey Rule and his four-time Emmy-nominated performance as Doug Stamper on House of Cards. Created by Sheridan and Christian Wallace, Landman is set in the boomtowns of West Texas and follows the roughnecks, executives and billionaires fueling the modern oil industry. The series is produced by Paramount Television Studios, 101 Studios and Sheridan's Bosque Ranch Productions. With Kelly now joining a cast already loaded with Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore, Andy Garcia and Sam Elliott, Season 3 appears to be expanding the corporate side of its oil empire even further. The biggest question now is whether William Crockett arrives as an ally, a rival or something much more complicated for Tommy Norris.