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The January 13 episode of The Young and the Restless made it clear that Connor is a real Newman. Sure, he’s got some Adam in him, but now we have proof positive that he is really just Victor redux.

The Man, the Myth, the Legend

Victor (Eric Braeden) is the center of all life in Genoa City, as it should be. He controls his wife, he controls his kids, he controls people he has no business controlling. Then, whenever he goes too far—which is about once a year—and Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) or Victoria (Amelia Heinle) or Nicholas (Joshua Morrow) or Adam (Mark Grossman) or even the one he regularly forgets, Abby (Melissa Ordway), call Victor out on his behavior and make it seem like they won’t be swallowing everything he has to say without question, Victor conveniently has a health scare.

And then they all come...

Throughout his Star Trek career, Brent Spiner has proven himself as one of the franchise's most versatile actors by portraying several different androids beyond Star Trek: The Next Generation's Lt. Commander Data. Data was created by Dr. Noonien Soong (also portrayed by Brent Spiner), a cyberneticist who built several androids over the course of his life. Brent not only portrayed Data and his creator, but Spiner also portrayed every other Soong android that has appeared on Star Trek, including Data's evil twin brother, Lore.

Brent Spiner began acting in the late 1970s and is most well-known for his portrayal of Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation. In total, Spiner has portrayed versions of three different androids, as well as four different members of the Soong family. Spiner is also known for playing Dr. Brakish Okun in Independence Day and Independence Day: Resurgence, and Bob Wheeler in the original Night Court and the 2023 reboot.

Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) became one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's most beloved characters, but the android had a fascinating life before the show even began. As the operations officer on the USS Enterprise-d under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Data helped save the galaxy numerous times. Without Data's enhanced android abilities and resistance to pathogens and mind manipulation, the Enterprise would have been destroyed several times over. Data was the only android of his kind serving in Starfleet, and he wanted nothing more than to be human.

Throughout its seven seasons, Tng revealed many interesting facts about Data's history. However, none of his life before the Enterprise-d has ever been shown on screen. Data was created by cyberneticist Dr. Noonien Soong (Brent Spiner), and he and his wife, Juliana (Fionnula Flanagan), came to see the android as their child. Data spent his earliest...

Sir Patrick Stewart was reportedly not interested in joining Star Trek: The Next Generation before he was persuaded by his manager to take the well-paying job. Though the actor seemed like a fish out of water initially, he never phoned it in with his performances and gave the character of Jean-Luc Picard a whole new dimension.

Despite his wonderful performance in the show, the actor never received an Emmy nomination, let alone an award for his role in Star Trek: Tng. In fact, many of the cast members have been denied the prestigious award despite giving amazing performances. One episode that proved the Emmys’ hate for sci-fi is the season 3 episode, ‘Sarek’.

Sir Patrick Stewart’s Performance In Star Trek: Tng’s ‘Sarek’ Deserved An Emmy A still from Star Trek: Tng | Credits: Paramount

The Emmys have always been biased against sci-fi and fantasy shows as opposed to true dramas.

Ridley Scott made history with his 1979 film sci-fi film Alien which set off a chain reaction. Other filmmakers tried to follow in his footsteps to create another masterpiece that could rival or even stand up to the original. Alas, the follow-ups only further proved the Gladiator director’s genius, which others couldn’t replicate.

However, things changed when the Don’t Breathe director Fede Álvarez took up the task. Alien: Romulus was a refreshing sci-fi venture that many believed was the best-reviewed film from the franchise, except for the first one. The movie’s success almost guaranteed a sequel, but fans are apprehensive about its fate. Although the director is cautious in his approach viewers have some stipulations for the potential follow-up.

Don’t look back: Netizens advise filmmakers to drop the nostalgia-bait Still from Alien (1979) | Credits: 20th Century Studios

The Alien franchise was immortalized by Ridley Scott, but that does...

Warning: This article contains Spoilers for Alien: Romulus.One of the biggest mysteries in Alien: Romulus concerns Kay's baby specifically, who the father could be. Post-release, director Fede lvarez revealed that Kay's cousin Bjorn is the father in Alien: Romulus, which means they have had an incestuous relationship. Though this shocking secret wasn't explicitly revealed in Alien: Romulus, there were subtle hints that Kay and Bjorn were more than just cousins.

One scene, in particular, conveys the hidden romance between the two, but it's right before Bjorn is killed by the Xenomorph as it emerges from its cocoon and is easy to overlook. The truth about Bjorn only makes his death protecting Kay an even more painful and scary scene in Alien: Romulus. However, coupled with lvarez's confirmation, Bjorn and Kay's relationship adds a completely different dimension to the movie.

Kay & Bjorn's Reunion Scene Makes It Clear He's The Baby's...

The Offspring from Alien: Romulus is one of the most unique horror movie creations of the year but how much of that creation was CGI and how much was practical effects? Right up to its third act, Alien: Romulus is a really solid Alien movie with engaging characters, exhilarating action sequences, and terrifying jump scares. But in its final act, it goes to a whole other level of awesomeness with the reveal of the Offspring. After pregnant Kay injects herself with the Prometheus goo and the other survivors get back to the ship, she gives birth to a horrifying hybrid.

This years horror offerings have brought both underwhelming monster designs, like the glittery disco-ball demon from Apartment 7A, and unforgettably unholy creations, like Monstro Elisasue from The Substance. Alien: Romulus Offspring falls into the latter category; its one of the horror genres most frightening sights of the decade so far.

Alien: Romulus is one of the most successful horror films of 2024 owing to its original take on a classic horror movie franchise. Through its innovative new plot that builds off the tension and scares that made Alien and Aliens so great, along with some stellar performances, Alien: Romulus reinvigorated the Alien franchise. This is attested to by its positive reviews and current 80% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, while its obvious connections to the franchise's past helped Alien: Romulus become a box office success, the movie also featured some more subtle nods to its heritage that audiences may have missed,

Alien: Romulus follows the characters Rain and her brother Andy, an android, who attempt to escape their planet Lv-410 with their friends Tyler, Kay, Bjorn, and Navarro. The group attempts to steal cryostasis gear from an abandoned space station, but are attacked by alien xenomorphs, echoing the events of multiple previous Alien movies.

Alien: Rolumus breathed new life into the long-running sci-fi saga, but its sequel plans are already repeating an error of the Ridley Scott prequel era. Romulus was exactly the kind of clean slate the Alien movie series needed, with the film requiring no real prior experience for newcomers while offering many easter eggs and callbacks for devotees. Alien: Romulus' box office success makes a sequel inevitable, and a THR interview with 20th Century's Steve Asbell makes it clear the studio wants director Fede lvarez back for the next movie.

This makes sense, but it might not be the right move. Alien is a unique series in that the early follow-ups were shaped by some of the best filmmakers at the beginnings of their careers; the original was only Ridley Scott's second film, while Alien 3 gave David Fincher his directorial debut. lvarez is a skilled filmmaker and a horror nerd himself,...

Halloween may be over for 2024, but keeping things creepy is a year-round dedication. This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to check out the "Alien: Romulus" activation at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride during its final weekend of operation thanks to 20th Century Studios and Team Click. It was a life-affirming experience to get up close and personal with a Xenomorph, see a chestburster explode from two feet away and blood over unsuspecting journalists, and most importantly — have the opportunity to sit down with the prolific supervising sound editor of "Alien: Romulus," Lee Gilmore, to learn just how the effective sound of the film came to be.

The "Alien" franchise is unique in that the series has always been about dehumanization, and that it combines the sound of early, analog technology with the visceral, squelchy sounds of the human body being ripped apart — an absolute dream come true for someone working in sound design.

If just its box office numbers had been considered, then The Stepfather would have remained a standalone movie. However, the 1987 cult flick ultimately found an audience after tanking in theaters; it went on to become a major success on both video and television. So the production company behind the original movie, Itc, went ahead with putting cinema’s deadliest daddy back on the big screen. The pressing question at the time though, was whether or not Terry O’Quinn would return. And if he did, how would his character even come back?

John Auerbach, whose sole screenwriting credit is Stepfather II, was put in charge of bringing the fatal father figure back from the dead. Like anyone else in his position, Auerbach assumed he would be penning a prequel, on account of the fact that O’Quinn’s character was killed at the end of the first movie. On the contrary,...

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Alien: Romulus!

Although many have said that the original Alien protagonist doesn't appear in Alien: Romulus, Ellen Ripley is actually in the film the whole time, and we see her ship 67 minutes in. Alien: Romulus is the beginning of an all-new chapter in the Alien saga, with it purportedly moving away from the stories of Ripley and David the synthetic and instead focusing on new protagonists Rain and Andy. While this duo is at the center of Alien: Romulus' story, the worlds of the original series and Prometheus are still present, as can be seen with Ripley's secret Alien: Romulus cameo.

While Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley is the original protagonist of the Alien franchise, she hasn't appeared in the franchise since 1997's Alien: Resurrection, with Ridley Scott instead focusing on prequel stories starting with 2012's Prometheus. Many have been wondering if Ripley will ever return,...

Alien: Romulus introduced The Offspring to the franchise, a terrifying new monster with its own set of powers and abilities. By the time of Alien: Romulus' ending, the installment solidified it as one of the best in the series. Not only did it feature plenty of classic Xenomorph-based action-horror, but it also tied to the Alien prequel movies by expanding the lore of the franchise. This was done via the inclusion of the Prometheus Fire, a pathogen that led to the creation of The Offspring.

The Offspring is a new type of Xenomorph variant in the Alien franchise and provided a terrifying final obstacle for Rain to overcome in Alien: Romulus. However, The Offspring is very different from the final monsters of the past Alien movies. The reason for this links to its placement on the Alien movie timeline, as alluded to via the film's connections to Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.

Sometimes, to strike the right adversarial or simply awkward dynamic between cast members, you've got to, in the words of The Offspring, keep 'em separated.

Andy Muschietti did this with the kids and Bill Skarsgård while shooting "It," and the young actors responded with genuine terror in their scenes with Pennywise the killer clown. And sometimes the actors remain distant from their co-stars by going method and staying in character throughout the shoot. Daniel Day-Lewis is famous for this, going so far as to speak as Abraham Lincoln when texting with Sally Field during the making of Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln."

Christian Bale is known for going to similar extremes when getting into character. How extreme? Prior to shooting Brad Anderson's 2004 thriller "The Machinist," he dropped a startling 62 pounds to give his character the emaciated look the script called for.

The Oscar-winning actor also took a page out of...

On Wednesday Jimmy will chat to actress Quinta Brunson about the new season of ABC Comedy Abbott Elementary, alongside actor Henry Winkler. The musical guest for the night is The Offspring. Plus what’s happening the rest of this week on the show. On Thursday, Billy Crystal and Jessica Williams will be on the show, with […]

Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Quinta Brunson, Henry Winkler...

With nearly a quarter of a century in Hollywood, McG is returning to his Newport Beach roots.

The Uglies director’s River Jetty Restaurant Group has been tapped as the new operator of The Lido Theater as it reopens following a restoration to its original Art Deco design, just in time to host screenings for next month’s 25th Newport Beach Film Festival.

“I grew up in Newport Beach and have a lot of great memories of The Lido,” said McG in a statement. “It’s one of the coolest things about Newport, and I love the idea of giving back to the community by bringing in eclectic new programming. I’m excited to help usher in a new era of entertainment at The Lido, especially now that it’s been restored and is more beautiful than ever.”

Born in Michigan, McG (real name Joseph McGinty Nichol) grew up in Newport Beach,...

One of the most talked-about - not to mention divisive - elements of Fede Alvarez's Alien: Romulus was the introduction of another Xenomorph/human hybrid in the last act, and previously-released concept art has revealed that a number of different designs for the creature were considered.

Towards the end of the film, a pregnant and dying Kay (Isabela Merced) injects herself with the Rook android's Prometheus 5 formula to keep herself alive. Though she does survive (for a while), this ultimately results in her giving birth to a pretty damn terrifying hybrid, which kills its mother and very nearly manages to eliminate Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and Andy (David Jonsson) before being blasted into space.

Now, concept artist Dane Hallett has shared some more of his work to Instagram, and it seems the Offspring's original final form was going to look a lot more like a standard Xenomorph.

"After the project was shot,...

Warning: contains spoilers for "Go See Cal," appearing in Star Trek #500!

Star Trek: Lower Decks just introduced its impressive, but twisted, version of Data. The android Data is one of the Star Trek franchise's most compelling characters, but outside his brothers Lore and B4, he is one of a kind. Yet in the story Go See Cal, appearing in Star Trek #500, Rutherford, the engineering whiz of the Cerritos, creates his own riff on Data, carrying some heavy implications.

Go See Cal is one of the many stories appearing in the Star Trek #500 anthology. The story, written by Magdalene Visaggio and drawn by Megan Huang, opens with Tindi and Rutherford having assembled their own Soong-type android, revealing that every cyberneticist in the Federation is trying the same thing. Rutherford reveals he uses a black market bi-neural compensator obtained from a Ferengi. As a result, this Data variant seeks nothing but profit and advocates capitalism.

One particularly progressive episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation addressed a hot-button topic in 1990. Since Star Trek: The Original Series premiered in 1966, the franchise has always been ahead of its time. With his optimistic view of the future, Gene Roddenberry created a universe where the Earth had achieved peace and used its resources to explore the galaxy. Tng expanded on this vision, picking up a century after Tos and following Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of the USS Enterprise-d.

Since its inception, Star Trek has held a mirror to society, addressing controversial topics, many of which remain relevant today. While some of Star Trek's social commentary proved more effective than others, the franchise has always tried to push boundaries and make people think. The science fiction trappings of Star Trek have allowed the franchise to tackle topics that networks might otherwise have banned. One of Lt.

Star Trek: The Next Generation vetoed what could have been a fascinating story of Lt. Commander Data's (Brent Spiner) android daughter, Lal (Hallie Todd), being stolen by his evil brother, Lore (Brent Spiner). As the only android in Starfleet, Data initially believed himself to be one of a kind, until he met Lore in Tng season 1, episode 13, "Datalore." At first, Data was pleased to discover he had a brother, and he believed the best of Lore. Unfortunately, Lore quickly betrayed Data, attempting to feed the entire USS Enterprise-d crew to the dangerous Crystalline Entity.

As Star Trek: The Next Generation continued, Data met his creator, Dr. Noonien Soong (also Brent Spiner), and learned more about himself. After the events of "Datalore," Lore was presumed lost, leaving Data alone again. In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 16, "The Offspring," Data decides to continue his legacy by building an android daughter named Lal.

Captain Picard's iconic facepalm meme originates from Star Trek episodes, capturing his frustration in a humorous freeze frame moment. The meme has become widely recognized and popular, inspiring merchandise and online jokes. Both Picard and Riker's facepalms are sometimes used for comical effect outside of the series, adding a humorous twist to serious moments.

Star Trek: The Next Generation's Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) would occasionally bring his hand to his face in an expression of exasperation - and thus the Picard facepalm meme was born. As Captain of the USS Enterprise-d, Picard had the unenviable task of looking out for his crew and facing off against dangerous alien foes and bizarre space anomalies. Captain Picard rarely let his emotions show, remaining calm and collected even in the tensest situations, but sometimes, Jean-Luc got irritated enough to facepalm.

It should come as no surprise that John de Lancie's...

This post contains spoilers for "Alien: Romulus."

Director Fede Alvarez has successfully revived the "Alien" franchise with his new film "Alien: Romulus." Marketed largely as a back-to-basics, scary space adventure with lots of practical Xenomorphs, Disney was able to get moviegoers to buy into what Alvarez was selling. It was in some ways a bait and switch, as the third act of the film takes a very big swing, bringing to life a horrific human/Xenomorph/Engineer hybrid known as "The Offspring," played by Tom Woodruff Jr. Disney, being a historically family-friendly company that isn't used to such R-rated shenanigans, somewhat understandably pushed back against this.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Alvarez went into spoiler territory with the outlet, breaking down "Romulus" and even revealing plans for a potential sequel (albeit one that would possibly be years away from actually happening). The director, whose previous credits include...

If you’re avoiding Alien: Romulus Spoilers, turn away, because we’re about to talk about the ending – which the studio wasn’t sure about, and which director Fede Alvarez compares to the ending of his feature directorial debut, the 2013 take on Evil Dead.

It has been said that the story Alvarez and co-writer Rodo Sayagues crafted for Alien: Romulus is not directly connected to the other films in the Alien franchise (which isn’t exactly true), but it’s not ignoring any of the other entries, either. Alvarez has been clear about the fact that his story takes place within the established franchise continuity. In fact, it slots right in between the events of Alien and Aliens. It has the following official logline: The sci-fi/horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful “Alien” franchise back to its roots: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of...

Alien: Romulus contains quite a few call-backs and nods to Ridley Scott's original masterpiece and James Cameron's sequel, but it also reintroduces a much-maligned concept from Alien: Resurrection.

Towards the end of the movie, a pregnant and dying Kay injects herself with the Prometheus 5 formula to keep herself alive. This results in her giving birth to a human/alien hybrid.

Named "The Offspring" in the credits, this rather terrifying creature does look a lot better than the albino monstrosity from Resurrection, but taking inspiration from one of the least popular movies in the franchise by introducing another hybrid was a bold choice that not everyone has got on board with.

While speaking to THR, director Fede Alvarez revealed that the studio did initially have some reservations.

"They did [push back] at the beginning [with regard to the Offspring], but not because they didn’t like it. They just thought, 'Is it too much? Do we really have to go there?...

Spoiler Alert: This story discusses major plot points, including the ending of “Alien Romulus,” now playing in theaters.

Fede Álvarez might have just delivered one of the wildest endings of the year with “Alien: Romulus” — thanks, in large part, to its terrifying new monster, nicknamed “The Offspring.”

Early in the film, Kay (Isabela Merced) tells Rain (Cailee Spaeny) that she’s pregnant. As the Xenomorphs unleash terror on Rain and the crew, Kay is captured by one. Rain and Andy (David Jonsson) find her in a cocoon and free her. As the trio fight to escape the alien-infested space station (which is on a crash course with a nearby planet), Kay injects herself with the Weyland-Yutani “Compound Z-01” – made from matter extracted from the Xenomorphs and designed to advance humanity. But when Rain puts Kay into a cyro-chamber so they can get her back safely, something goes horribly wrong and...

Attention is a prickly beast. It’s something people crave but once they attain it, the cost can be deadly. That’s the central thesis to Nathan Ginter’s darkly comedic body horror short The Third Ear, which sees a life model psychologically spiral after he finds that an additional ear has sprouted on the back of his head. The tension throughout Ginter’s short is palpable and that’s down to the unnerving atmosphere he’s able to create through image and sound. The frames are darkly lit with uneasy colours and the sonic palette boasts creepy whispers and an ethereal score, it’s an electric short and the fact that Ginter made this as his graduate film at Pratt Institute has put him on our radar as one to watch for the future. After having the pleasure of premiering his previous short Last Seen, Dn is delighted to...

One of the most endearing characters of Star Trek: The Next Generation was Brent Spiner’s Data. The android’s journey from being curious about humanity and emotions to almost becoming one while working together with the USS Enterprise crew was one of the most satisfying arcs for a character.

Though Data was largely emotionless, he became a canvas on which many other variations could be put on and Brent Spiner did a phenomenal job at it. A director reportedly once told him that playing an emotionless character for many seasons would be tedious. Still, Spiner seemed to envision Data being more than an android.

Brent Spiner Was Not Deterred By A Director’s Comments About Playing Data A still from Star Trek: The Next Generation | Credits: Paramount

The science fiction genre has been a vessel through which profound questions about humanity and its journey are explored and answered. The...

The middle part of a trilogy consisting of 2023’s “Youth (Spring)” and the imminent “Youth (Homecoming),” “Youth (Hard Times)” crystallizes the strengths of Wang Bing’s latest epic-length documentary project. “Hard Times” offers no radical change from the (quite deliberately) repetitive construction of “Spring,” but does feature subtle shifts in focus and certainly a lot more in the way of incident and splintering effects. That’s not to say that there’s now a lack of sequences devoted to people humming along to music playing on their phones while they work — the year’s most surprising needle drop may be that an austere arthouse documentary features an electronic track that seemingly samples The Offspring’s “Original Prankster.”

A primer, first, for anyone who’s not already familiar with the project. Slowness and making viewers aware of deceptively aimless pacing are perhaps the definitive characteristics of Wang’s output. He embeds...

While Patrick Stewart and the rest of the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation won the Saturn Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Emmys for the show have only been limited to the technical category. Only in 1994, for its final season, the sci-fi show was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.

However, Stewart reportedly disagreed with the treatment of the show by the Emmys and specified a co-star who deserved some love from TV’s biggest award show. The actor cited Brent Spiner’s performance as Data in many episodes, including season 3’s ‘The Offspring’ as award-worthy.

Patrick Stewart Wished For An Emmy To Be Given To Brent Spiner Brent Spiner and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation | Credits: Paramount

For a character who does not feel real human emotions and is essentially a robot, Brent Spiner’s Data has often been considered to be the...

Stars: Ami Dolenz, Andrew Robinson, Soleil Moon Frye, J. Trevor Edmond, Hill Harper, Alexander Polinsky, Mark McCracken, Steve Kanaly, Gloria Hendry | Written by Constantine & Ivan Chachornia | Directed by Jeff Burr

Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings was originally released in the UK at a time when I was heavily getting into horror yet was, legally, still too young to rent 18-rated titles from the local video shop (a shop which to this day I credit with the formative years of my movie tastes). It was also at a time when Jeff Burr was being hailed, at least in some corners of the UK and US horror press, as the future of the genre. After all, he had helmed the fan-favourite Vincent Price-starring horror anthology From a Whisper to a Scream and then the very successful sequel The Stepfather 2, before hitting the “big time” as director on the third film in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise.

Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big new singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week, Charli Xcx teams up with Billie Eilish, Father John Misty previews a “greatish” hits album, and A$AP Rocky, Maren Morris and Khalid return. Check out the songs below, including a Spotify playlist of every one.

Charli Xcx feat, Billie Eilish, “Guess” (YouTube)

Khalid, “It’s All Good” (YouTube)

A$AP Rocky ft. Jessica Pratt, “Highjack” (YouTube)

Maren Morris, “Push Me Over” (YouTube)

Soccer Mommy, “M” (YouTube)

Father John Misty,...

In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Datalore", Trekkies were introduced to Lore (Brent Spiner), functionally Data's evil twin. Data (also Spiner) was said to have been built by a cyberneticist named Dr. Noonien Soong, and he had previously assumed he was the only android of his kind, but the investigation of a ruined human colony revealed the pieces of Lore, hidden away in a cave. Lore, when reassembled, reveals that he is emotional and even aggressive, the opposite of Data. He also claims that Data was built first as a prototype, making Lore the more perfect model. It would be revealed later that Lore was actually the imperfect prototype, and Data was the improved model.

Lore only appeared in four episodes of "Next Generation," but he was always up to no good, either conspiring with a massive, planet-eating crystalline entity or leading a religious cult of Borg outcasts.

Jonathan Frakes is a beloved director, with a prolific career in television, including directing episodes in Star Trek and other shows. Frakes directed iconic episodes like "The Offspring" in Tng and has also worked on films like Clockstoppers and Thunderbirds. Frakes has directed episodes in popular shows like Roswell, Dollhouse, Castle, Burn Notice, Agents of Shield, Falling Skies, and NCIS: Los Angeles.

Jonathan Frakes is one the most beloved directors of Star Trek, but he is also an incredibly prolific director across television. Frakes' directing career began on Star Trek: The Next Generation, where he occasionally took a break from starring as Commander William Riker to step behind the camera. Frakes directing debut was Tng season 3, episode 16, "The Offspring," which focused on Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) and his attempt to create a child. With its compelling premise and heartbreaking ending, "The Offspring" remains one of the most highly-praised episodes of Tng.

After Brent Spiner’s character Data died in Star Trek: Nemesis, he initially parted ways with the Star Trek franchise. However, with the birth of Star Trek: Picard on Paramount+, Spiner returned to reprise his role along with his old pals Patrick Stewart and LeVar Burton. This marked a 20-year reunion for the physical cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Brent Spiner in a still from Star Trek: Picard | Paramount Pictures

Since their final collaboration in 2002’s Nemesis, following the conclusion of The Next Generation series in 1994, the cast has maintained a close bond. Notably, Brent Spiner shares a strong connection with his co-star LeVar Burton.

This One Person’s Vibe Perfectly Matched Brent Spiner’s

Brent Spiner and LeVar Burton ended up spending a considerable amount of time together on Star Trek: Picard, and luckily, their off-screen vibe was a perfect match.

Suggested“It’s been one of...

Jonathan Frakes has been directing episodes of various “Star Trek” series for the past 34 years, from his first episode behind the camera, “Next Generation” installment “The Offspring,” to the most recent episode of “Star Trek: Discovery.” He is continuity for the franchise that doesn’t quite exist in any other way.

And now, his “Star Trek” directing past is coming back to inform the present. An episode of “Next Gen” he directed in 1993, “The Chase,” is the inspiration for this entire fifth and final season of “Discovery.” A huge plot point from that episode — all of the sentient species in the galaxy were “planned,” billions of years ago, to spring up as they have by a highly advanced prior species called the Progenitors, who seeded the rudiments of their/our DNA on different planets — forms the basis for this 10-episode final run of the show that relaunched the “Star Trek” franchise on TV.

The after party for hard rock’s biggest music festival rages on Rockville Radio. Relive live performances from Disturbed, Bad Omens, Jelly Roll, and many more, plus exclusive interviews and backstage hangs. The best of Welcome To Rockville 2024 is on Rockville Radio!

Rockville RadioAvailable April 25–May 22Listen on the App

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Listen to Rockville Radio for music, interviews, performances, and behind-the-scenes backstage coverage of one of the biggest hard rock music festivals. You’ll hear Welcome to Rockville headliners and artists including Disturbed, Slipknot, Falling in Reverse, Jelly Roll, Bad Omens, Evanescence, Breaking Benjamin, In This Moment, and many more.

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May 17–19, tune in to Rockville Radio...

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" has a knack for proving skeptics wrong. You say Paramount+ can't do a prequel "Star Trek" series that reimagines iconic characters like Spock, Kirk, and Uhura with a cast of new actors? Watch them. Think it's impossible to strike the original series' balance between earnest pathos, sci-fi geekery, warm-hearted hijinks, and indelible camp? Think again. Don't even get this show started on which genres do and don't check classic "Star Trek" boxes; it'll blow your personal definition of classic "Trek" wide open with a Medieval costume drama, an animation-live action crossover, a musical, or -- in the upcoming season, according to Variety -- a "Hollywood murder mystery."

In Variety's new cover story about the future of the franchise Gene Roddenberry first created in 1966, the future of "Star Trek" is bright. The dynamic, weird, hilarious, and sometimes heartbreaking prequel series "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" comes...

Jonathan Frakes has been a vital part of Star Trek: Discovery since season 1's finale. Frakes transitioned to directing after playing Commander Will Riker, contributing to multiple Star Trek series and films, showcasing his talents behind the camera. Riker won't appear in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, but Frakes is directing Discovery's penultimate episode, which is the first half of the series' two-part finale.

Jonathan Frakes still plays a significant part in Star Trek: Discovery even though Captain William Riker does not make an appearance in Discovery season 5. Frakes first joined the Star Trek family as Commander Riker in 1987 when Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered. As the First Officer on the USS Enterprise-d under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Riker went on to become, in Picard's words: "the finest officer with whom I have ever served." Despite numerous offers of promotion to his own command, Riker...

In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Outcast", the crew of the Enterprise aids a species called the J'naii in locating and rescuing a missing shuttlecraft. The J'naii are a genderless species, claiming to have evolved past specific gender identities. In their society, any expression of maleness or femaleness is considered darkly taboo, and gendered sexual contact has been criminalized. Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) spends a great deal of the episode working with a J'naii pilot named Soren (Melinda Culea) and the two bond. Soren will eventually reveal that she feels more female than genderless and that she is attracted to Riker. When Soren's gender identity reaches the other J'naii officials, she is threatened with the sci-fi equivalent of a conversion camp.

By today's politics, "The Outcast" feels clumsy in its attempts to discuss gender identity. It can, however, be commended for even attempting to tell a trans...

Slayer — that’s right, a reunited Slayer — are among the headliners of the 2024 Louder Than Life festival, alongside Slipknot, Mötley Crüe, and Korn. The four-day festival will take place September 26th-29th at the Highland Festival Grounds at Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

In addition to the headliners the massive gathering also promises Disturbed, Judas Priest, Five Finger Death Punch, Evanescence, Falling in Reverse, Breaking Benjamin, The Offspring, Staind, Till Lindemann, In This Moment, Chevelle, Dropkick Murphys, Halestorm, Gojira, Sum 41, Three 6 Mafia, Seether, Tom Morello, Anthrax, Mastodon, Clutch, Highly Suspect, Body Count, Spiritbox, Sevendust, Poppy, Filter, Eagles of Death Metal, Juliette Lewis and the Licks, Marky Ramone Plays the Ramones Classics, Pup, Helmet, Soul Glo, Show Me the Body, Health, and more.

Tickets to Louder Than Life 2024, including Ga and VIP passes, are now on sale. If the fest sells out, fans can check for tickets at StubHub, where your...

The lineup for the 2024 edition of the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival has been announced, with Shinedown, Godsmack, and Breaking Benjamin serving as headliners. The three-day event takes place July 19th-21st at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio, where the Oscar-winning movie The Shawshank Redemption was filmed.

Single-day and weekend passes are currently available via the official Inkcarceration website, starting at $199.99 plus fees for a three-day pass. A discounted four-pack can be purchased for $719.96 plus fees. If passes sell out, fans can check StubHub, where your purchase is 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s Fan Protect program.

The Friday (July 19th) lineup will feature Breaking Benjamin along with The Offspring, Chevelle, Machine Head, Chimaira, Poison the Well, Bad Wolves, Biohazard, Veil of Maya, Mushroomhead, and more.

On Saturday (July 20th), Godsmack will be joined on the bill by Halestorm, I Prevail, Killswitch Engage, Hollywood Undead, Sevendust, As I Lay Dying, Filter,...

Jonathan Frakes is a beloved and prolific director in the Star Trek franchise, having directed numerous episodes across multiple series and two of the best Star Trek: The Next Generation films. Frakes' directing style captures the essence of classic Star Trek, with episodes that provide important insights into the characters' lives and tackle relevant social issues. Frakes' familiarity with the franchise and his ability to create memorable moments, including ad-libbed scenes, solidify him as one of the best directors in the Star Trek universe.

Jonathan Frakes may be most recognizable for starring as Commander William Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but he is also one of Star Trek's most beloved and prolific directors. Frakes first took on directing duties in Tng season 3, with the excellent Data-centric episode, "The Offspring," and he would go on to helm seven more episodes of Tng. Frakes directed three episodes each of...

Jonathan Frakes and Patrick Stewart have a long history of working together in Star Trek, and Frakes enjoyed directing Stewart in Picard. Frakes spoke highly of Stewart's cooperation and willingness to try new ideas during their collaborations. Frakes has directed multiple episodes of Star Trek shows and movies, and he remains dedicated to the franchise.

Jonathan Frakes and Patrick Stewart have been working together for a long time, and Frakes particularly enjoyed directing Stewart in Star Trek: Picard. Frakes and Stewart began their Star Trek journey when they starred alongside one another as Commander William Riker and Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. For seven seasons, Captain Picard commanded the USS Enterprise-d with his First Officer Will Riker by his side. In Tng season 3, Frakes gave directing a shot with the excellent Data-centric episode, "The Offspring." Since then, Frakes has become one of Star Trek's most beloved and prolific directors.

Welcome to Rockville has unveiled its 2024 lineup, and the four-day Florida festival is stacked with headliners Mötley Crüe, Limp Bizkit, Foo Fighters, and Slipknot, plus Disturbed, Mr. Bungle, Queens of the Stone Age, Judas Priest, Evanescence, Slayer guitarist Kerry King’s new eponymous project, and dozens more acts.

The 2024 edition, set to take place May 9th-12th at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, has been expanded to five stages and 150 bands (50 more than this year’s fest) — rivaling European festivals like Hellfest and Download.

Fans can look for tickets and deals via StubHub, where your purchase is 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s Fan Protect program.

On Thursday (May 9th), Mötley Crüe will be joined on the lineup by Disturbed, Judas Priest, Anthrax, Mudvayne, Machine Head, Kerry King, Insane Clown Posse, Dirty Honey, Biohazard, and more.

Friday (May 10th) will see Limp Bizkit headline a bill that includes Jelly Roll,...

Patrick Stewart believes it is a major injustice that Brent Spiner, who played Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation, never won an Emmy. Stewart singles out Brent Spiner's performance in the episode "The Offspring" as particularly impressive, where Data creates an android daughter named Lal. Spiner's portrayal of Data, as well as other android characters, showcased his talent and the depth he brought to his character's desire to be human.

Patrick Stewart believes the fact that one particular member of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast never won an Emmy is a "major injustice." Stewart's autobiography, "Making It So: A Memoir," delves into his many years playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the four Tng movies that followed, and reprising Jean-Luc as an Admiral in Star Trek: Picard. Stewart rewatched Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes and the films to prepare for writing his memoir,...

The writers of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" had a whole panoply of characters to work with, but they clearly liked Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) the best. Of the episodes that focus on single members of the ensemble, Picard and Data seemingly had the most, and were usually given stirringly dramatic stories and no small amount of screen time. Picard was an interesting character as he was stern and resolute, and audiences liked to see his unflappable integrity get tested. Data was an interesting character as he was an android aspiring to be more human, despite having no human emotions. Data looked at humanity objectively, and eager Trekkies likely constructed imaginary conversations in their heads as to how they would explain humanity to Data (should they ever meet him).

Spiner's challenge in playing Data was mustering up emotional moments from within the artificial brain of a machine person.

Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo was born in Santa Monica, California, and grew up in the Los Angeles area. When he was six years old on August 21st, 1971, a young Trujillo found himself at his grandmother’s house in Hawthorne — just around the corner from a surplus store that was held up by the Manson Family.

In a new interview on The Offspring’s Time to Relax podcast, the bassist recalled the harrowing story of hiding out in his grandma’s shower as 30 police officers engaged in a shootout with four of Charles Manson’s followers.

“I am in Hawthorne, California,” recounted Trujillo [as transcribed by Metal Injection]. “I’m staying at my grandma’s house… The gun shop, the army surplus shop around the corner on Hawthorne Boulevard, was robbed. And basically, the Manson family had this grand scheme. You can check it out on the internet. They were gonna rob the gun store and get their ammo and everything,...

Lore was originally supposed to be a female android and a romantic interest for Data, but actor Brent Spiner proposed the idea of an evil twin. Lore's inclusion in "Datalore" changed the storyline significantly, with Lore becoming Data's evil brother instead of a love interest. Tng later introduced a female android named Lal, who was created by Data and experienced a tragic malfunction, making "The Offspring" one of the most celebrated episodes of the show.

Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1 introduced Lore (Brent Spiner) as the evil brother of Lt. Commander Data (also Brent Spiner), but Lore was originally meant to be a female android. In Tng season 1, episode 13, "Datalore," Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) takes the USS Enterprise to the planet Omicron Theta, where the android Data was found by Starfleet. As the away team explores the now desolate planet, they discover the disassembled body of another android that looks exactly like Data.

Lt. Commander Data, created by Dr. Noonian Soong, had a unique positronic brain that made him incredibly advanced and human-like. Data, despite his advantages, yearned to be human and worked to learn about humanity and experience emotions. Positronic technology, originating from Isaac Asimov's writings, allows androids to achieve sentience and resemble humans, and it played a significant role in Data's advanced brain.

The android Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) became one of the most beloved characters to come out of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and his positronic brain made him incredibly unique, even in the futuristic world of Star Trek. Data was created by cyberneticist Dr. Noonian Soong (also Brent Spiner), who spent his life in the pursuit of creating sentient artificial life. Although Soong built other androids, Data was his most successful creation, a triumph of technology and human achievement. Soong pioneered the use of positronic technology in creating Data's brain,...

Jeff Burr, director of “Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III,” “From a Whisper to a Scream” and “Straight Into Darkness,” has died. He was 60.

Director-writer Jim Wynorski shared the news of Burr’s death on Facebook, writing that he “passed away last night [Oct. 10] in his sleep.”

Burr helmed New Line’s “Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III,” starring former pro wrestler R.A. Mihailoff as the villain in the 1990 installment. He later directed several entries in the “Pumpkinhead” and “Puppet Master” franchises, including “Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings” (1993), “Puppet Master 4” (1993), “Puppet Master 5” (1995) and “Puppet Master: Blitzkrief Massacre” (2018).

Burr was born in Aurora, Ohio, on July 18, 1963, and grew up in Dalton, Ga. He attended USC, but dropped out after his third year alongside fellow director Kevin Meyer to finish their American civil war short “Divided We Fall.” His feature-length directorial debut was 1987’s “From a Whisper to a Scream,” starring Vincent Price, Clu Gulager and Terry Kiser.