CBS has been responsible for some of the biggest TV cancellations in 2025 so far, from S.W.A.T.’s third axing (resulting in its upcoming Hondo-led spinoff) to The Equalizer to a pair of already established FBI spinoffs and then some. By and large, FBI: International co-creator Derek Haas has kept mum about the network drama’s fate, as he’s been busy putting the first season of Jensen Ackles’ new drama thriller Countdown together.
Now, Haas has addressed the unfortunate circumstances that left FBI:International fans without a properly conclusive ending for Wes, and told TVLine how he felt after hearing the cancellation news, saying:
I was so sad to hear about the cancellation, because I loved Jesse Soffer as Wes on the show and really thought it was a dynamic cast addition in Season 4.
Dick Wolf and served as the showrunner for its first two seasons, while also co-showrunning his other Wolf-based series, Haas stepped down from those duties on both shows in 2023 in order to embark on creating new projects such as the aforementioned Countdown.
CBS’s Fall TV lineup, and she pointed the finger of blame at financial issues, saying:
We have to be fiscally responsible, and ultimately those deals and the shows just weren’t penciling out for us for an economic perspective.
Since then, I don’t believe any follow-up explanations have been offered that shine a brighter light on what elements of the show became too financially irresponsible. While it’s fairly common for network execs to tighten their budgetary belts around the 7-season mark, when contractual rasies become more of a factor, FBI: International would only have been heading into its fifth season, led by two actors who’d only joined the year prior.
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Whatever the reasoning may be, fans’ best bet for now might be to start hoping that the upcoming CIA spinoff will feature some International vets as guest stars, or that it will offer other kinds of character updates when it arrives.
I know this might sound crazy, but there are people out there who actually think that Pulp Fictionisn’t Quentin Tarantino’s best movie.
Now, I’d consider myself a reasonable man, so I always like to listen to other people’s opinions. These other people have said is that Inglourious Basterds is Tarantino’s true masterpiece.
And, look, I get it. This an excellent film. In fact, when my colleague, Eric Eisenberg, ranked all of Tarantino’s movies, he put Basterds at number two. Which makes sense…to me at least. That said, I really want to get to the bottom of this. So, could Inglourious Basterds actually be Tarantino’s best movie?
Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine, or Eli Roth as “The Bear Jew.” Now, don’t get me wrong. I LOVE these characters (which I’ll also get into later), but they kind of clash with the more dramatic moments in this film.
Some people don’t see this as a problem. I do. Yes, it makes the film very enjoyable (I mean, all of Tarantino movies are enjoyable – including Death Proof). But, it also kind of limits the film, too. Because, in a lot of ways, I feel like Tarantino’s style actually gets in the way with this movie – especially with the dramatic moments, whereas Pulp Fiction doesn’t have that problem. In fact, his style shines the brightest in that film, which is likely why it made him a household name (though, Reservoir Dogs could have just as easily done that over time).
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While I really do like Inglourious Basterds, I think its shifting tone (Is it serious? Is it silly? Which is it?) holds it back from being Tarantino’s best movie. Pulp Fiction is just much more consistent throughout. Even so…
Samuel L. Jackson’s best movie, and it’s not even close. That said, there are so many excellent characters and moments in that film that I really can’t say that any one character actually steals the show.
The same can’t be said for Inglourious Basterds, because even though it also has a lot of stand-out characters, Christoph Waltz handidly steals this movie. I mean, there’s a reason why he won an Oscar for his performance. It was certainly justified.
This movie has a lot of phenomenal moments, but I would say that the single best is the opening scene where SS-Standartenfuhrer Hans Landa (Waltz) interrogates a dairy farmer who has Jewish people hiding beneath the floorboards. Honestly, I would say that this is not only the best moment in the entire movie, but also the single best moment in any Tarantino film ever.
As somebody who loves HItchcock movies, I would say that this scene is almost Hitchcokian in nature, as the tension is through the roof. The fact that the audience knows (and that Landa likely knows) that there are Jewish people hiding beneath him immediately pulls you into this film, and you’re pretty much on the edge of your seat every time Waltz is on the screen.
Which again, I actually think works against this film, since the movie turns deadly serious (even though Landa is so charming) whenever he’s present, but then turns kind of silly again (in a good way) when most of the other characters are present. It’s almost a shame that Tarantino’s best character (in my opinion, anyway) happens to be in the same movie as Lt. Aldo Raine. But, like I said, I don’t hate Brad Pitt in this film. In fact…
(that would be The Hateful Eight), I will say that I’m comfortable with calling it Tarantino’s second best film, and it’s mostly because of the assortment of characters, since they all stand out.
Landa is undisputedly the best character, but I really love the other characters, too, such as Raine, who survived a lynching, and has the scar to prove it. Or Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), who is the sole survivor from the scene at the beginning of the movie, and gets her revenge by the end of the film. She’s also wonderful.
This is also the movie that introduced me, and I’m sure plenty others, to Michael Fassbender. He plays a brief, but potent, role as a British soldier and former film critic helping the Basterds, and he’s in my second favorite scene in the film, which involves a tavern with several German soldiers.
And, who can forget Daniel Bruhl, who plays a German sniper who is getting a movie made about him? He’s both made to be admirable, but also a little goofy, which again, kind of shows that conflicting tone again that I mentioned earlier.
Honestly, Inglourious Basterds is a movie that I think has great scenes, but the parts don’t completely add up to the whole. Be that as it may…
Django Unchained, which I also find super satisfying, and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, which I find much less satisfying (I should write about why someday), Basterds toys with history, which gives it a much more cathartic ending than the truth.
And, I think it works the best in this movie. The fact that the sole survivor from the beginning literally gets to have the last laugh as the movie theater burns down just feels SO GOOD, and that scene alone almost makes me want to say that this is his best movie, just because I’ve never felt so strongly about any other Tarantino conclusion. Be that as it may…
Martin Scorsese. Yes, Scorsese had several great films in the ‘80s and ‘90s (Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy are actually my favorite Scorsese films).
However, when Scorsese’s career is finally over, I think it’s clear that most people, when ranking his films, would say that 1990’s Goodfellas was his greatest movie. It’s why a lot of people often associate him with gangster films in general, even though a lot of his movies don’t involve the mob at all.
I think the same could be said for Pulp Fiction. It’s the movie that all of Tarantino’s other films are compared to, and for good reason.
So, is Inglourious Basterds Tarantino’s best movie? No. But second ain’t bad. In fact, it’s pretty good!
Chicago Fire officially added another member to the Firehouse 51 family in Season 13, with Jocelyn Hudon returning as a series regular after recurring in Season 12. As one of One Chicago’s newest stars, the When Hope Calls alum had big shoes to fill as 51’s newest full-time paramedic after Kara Killmer’s departure as Brett, and Novak quickly proved up to the task as Violet’s (Hanako Greensmith) partner. NBC recently re-aired one of my favorite Season 13 episodes, and it has me more excited than ever for what’s in store with Novak in Season 14.
While I’d have a hard time narrowing down my favorite Chicago Fire episodes ever out of 13 seasons and counting, “Chaos Theory” – a.k.a. Episode 10 of Season 13, airing on NBC on January 22 in the 2025 TV schedule – was a favorite from the most recent season. It was not only exciting for the Cruz story at the time, but even more interesting when looking. The episode touched on the lovely friendship between Novak and Violet, and paired both paramedics with characters who won’t be back in Season 14.
Peacock subscription, or just following along here, read on for what Jocelyn Hudon told CinemaBlend about her first season as a Chicago Fire series regular!
three-show crossover event, I couldn’t help but drop the compliment that her relationship as Novak and Hanako Greensmith’s Violet was one of my Season 13 highlights. Luckily – for me, anyway – there was no break in their partnership to contribute to what would make me cry in the Season 13 finale by the end of May. Hudon shared what it was like to work full-time with Greensmith after just recurring in Season 12, saying:
It’s been great. We’re tight. Same thing. We’re both kind of funny and goofy, and we have a good time. All of our scenes are mostly together, and I’m so glad we get along the way we do. We just click and it’s a good time.
As the season went on, fans got to see Novak and Violet’s friendship deepen beyond silly and goofy, as both characters were there for each other when needed outside of Firehouse 51. Even if that was just watching reality TV together, it showed the pair bonding. After Novak’s uncertain future when she first arrived and Violet having to move on from Brett, Fire delivered some nice developments. According to Hudon, Violet being true to her word about supporting Novak meant a lot to her character. She said:
I don’t know if [Novak] has had those experiences before, and I think having the support from Violet is probably what made her stay, feeling just like she really could rely on someone. I think that is why she’s still there.
Considering Chicago Fire has a history of strong female friendships going back to the earliest days of Dawson (Monica Raymund) and Shay (Lauren German), that bond between Novak and Violet could come in handier than ever in Season 14 in light of events from the end of the thirteenth season.
(Image credit: Peter Gordon/NBC)
Showrunner Andrea Newman previewed “big endings” for the finale’s farewell with Carver (Jake Lockett) and Ritter (Daniel Kyri) departing the show, although the episode wrapped without setting up an exit for Ritter. In light of Carver as Violet’s long-standing will they/won’t they partner and Ritter as Novak’s roommate, their looming absences should affect the paramedics more than any others in Firehouse 51.
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Fortunately, Jocelyn Hudon bringing up another show from the expansive Dick Wolf TV universe is something to smile about. She said:
I watch SVU, so what it reminds me of is Kelli [Giddish] and Mariska [Hargitay]. I’m like, I’m the Kelli and Hanako is the Mariska. [laughs] But yeah, I think the bond is that strong because it’s real in real life, so it’s not put on, and it’s not just the lines. It’s like our friendship.
There are worse comparisons to make than Law & Order: SVU‘s Mariska Hargitay and Kelli Giddish! Fans likely shouldn’t cross their fingers too hard for another crossover between SVU and One Chicago to bring Violet, Novak, Benson, and Rollins together, but it’s a fun comparison.
Jocelyn Hudon Settling In As A Series Regular
Jocelyn Hudon only had good things to say about being welcomed by the Chicago Fire cast with “no divas” and “no difficult personalities” to deal with. But was it tricky for Hudon to step into Kara Killmer’s shoes as 51’s newest series regular in Season 13? Hudon recounted meeting the actress who’d played Brett for so long:
I met her. I think I might have been a few episodes in when she came to visit, and so I got to meet her, and then she watched one of the scenes. I think it was like me and Hanako, we were doing the heavy bag, and she watched us do that, and she was like, ‘Nice.’ [laughs] So I got to meet her.
Getting the stamp of approval from Kara Killmer surely boded well for Hudon as she received the promotion from recurring to regular. As the longest-running of the three One Chicago shows, Fire of course has a passionate fanbase and a history of divisive discourse over relationships in particular. The actress shared her positive experiences with the fandom:
When I joined, I was looking a lot at the tweets and the comments and the Reddit just to make sure people were kind of like happy with what I was doing. [laughs] But I found the fandom very supportive of me. I haven’t seen anything negative, and everyone’s been very nice and welcoming. And I answer as many people as I can. Yeah, everyone’s been pretty nice and supportive.
While it took some episodes to really get to know Novak, it was at least clear early on that she was going to be a much better partner for Violet than the very messy Emma and the unfortunate Lennox! Fans have evidently responded well to what Novak brought to the show.
So, after Jocelyn Hudon settled into Chicago Fire after being promoted to series regular status, is there anything she’d like to do on the show if the sky was the limit? Earlier this year, when there were still episodes left in Season 13, she said:
I would like to go into a building. On this show, I would love to be in a fire. They film on the burn stage, and I would love to do that. If something happened where the paramedics had to go do it, I would jump at the chance of going into a fire.
It’s certainly not unprecedented for paramedics to wind up in flames alongside the firefighters of Truck 81, Squad 3, and Engine 51, so perhaps we’ll see Novak in some more peril when Chicago Fire returns in the fall! NBC has not yet announced a premiere date for Season 14, but the network is continuing the successful One Chicago Wednesday block of primetime. As usual, the lineup will open with Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET, continue with Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET, and wrap with Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET.
In the meantime, you can keep tuning in to NBC on Wednesday nights to check out Chicago Fire Season 13 reruns, or take your pick up episodes with the full series so far streaming on Peacock now.
After bursting into the MCU in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, MIT genius Riri Williams (Dominque Thorne) is back to prove her mettle in this sequel series from Ryan Coogler. She’s ambitious, but without the limitless resources of, say, Tony Stark, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance with The Hood (Golden Globe nominee Anthony Ramos) that has some troubling repercussions. Three episodes drop each Wednesday, and we explain below how to watch Ironheart online and stream the entire series with Disney Plus.
The long-awaited show signals the end of phase five of the MCU, which began with Secret Invasion in 2023 and that has been credited with setting a darker, more mature tone. All the ingredients are here for something special. Acclaimed Black Panther and Sinners’ director Coogler produced the 6=six-episode series, while award-nominated actor Ramos (Twisters,In The Heights) will play Parker Robbins, a.k.a. The Hood, a man whose demonic apparel bestows magical powers.
It’s had the stamp of approval from Ironman himself, so we can’t wait for this explosive, action-packed conclusion to phase five, before the inauguration of phase with the Fantastic Four: First Steps movie in July.
Read on for everything to know about for how to watch Ironheart online, and stream every episode of Marvel’s highly-anticipated new miniseries with Disney Plus around around the world.
How to watch Ironheart online
How to watch Ironheart online in the US
(Image credit: Disney)
Iron Man’s heir apparent is finally here! Disney Plus is the place to go to watch Ironheart online, with its first three episodes dropping on Tuesday, June 24 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET, followed by another, final batch of three the following week.
In the US, Disney Plus prices start at $9.99 for the Basic (With Ads) plan, but you can upgrade to the $15.99 Premium membership and ditch the ads. If you want something longer term – and to save over 16% – consider purchasing Premium’s annual option, which costs $159.99 and guarantees a saving of $32 over the course of 12 months.
Watch Ironheart online with the Disney Plus bundle
If you’re in the US and want even more from your streaming services, then going for the Disney Plus bundle could be a great plan. It adds Hulu and ESPN Plus to Disney Plus, meaning that you also get loads more original TV shows as well as a whole host of live sports.
How to watch Ironheart online from anywhere
If you’re a US citizen on vacation or working overseas, you can still watch Ironheart just as you would at home.
While services like Disney+ are available in a multitude of countries they aren’t globally available yet. For IP addresses outside of the US, there’s a handy piece of software called a VPN that can change your IP address to make it look like you’re accessing streaming services from any country in the world.
For example, US citizens overseas can subscribe to a VPN, join a US-based server and access their subscription from anywhere in the world, just like they would back home.
Step-by-step of using a VPN to unblock:
1. Choose your ideal VPN and install – our go-to recommendation for unblocking is NordVPN, costing from $3.99 a month with its 2-year plan
2. Connect to a server – for Disney+ for example, you’ll want to connect to a server based in the US
3. Go to the stream you wish to access – for Ironheart, head to the appropriate streaming service (e.g. Disney+)
How to watch Ironheart online in Canada
As above, so below. Viewers in the Great North can also watch Ironheart online with Disney Plus on Tuesday, June 24, at the same time as their neighbours to the south.
Don’t have a Disney Plus account? In Canada, subscriptions starts from CA$8.99 a month for the platform’s ad-supported plan . If you want perks like ad-free streaming and the option to watch on the go, you can select either the Standard (CA$12.99 a month/CA$129.99 annually) or Premium ad-free plans (CA$15.99 a month/CA$159.99 a year).
How to watch Ironheart online in the UK
UK fans will also want a Disney Plus sub to watch Ironheart online. The first three episodes will be available from Wednesday, June 25 at 2am BST, with the final three episodes arriving a week later on July 2.
Those without Disney Plus memberships will want to act fast, though. Until June 30, Disney Plus is offering the Standard with Ads plan for £1.99 a month for four months (usually £8.99/£89.90 a year). Usually, you can get ad-supported Disney Plus from just £4.99 a month . You can also opt for Standard as mentioned, or level up and pick the £12.99 Premium plan, which supports 4K and HDR streaming.
How to watch Ironheart online in Australia
*Spoiler alert* – the highly-anticipated series is on…Disney Plus in Australia too! So you’ll want to grab an account to watch Ironheart online when it lands on Wednesday, June 25. The first batch of episodes will be added around 11am AEST, with three more installments arriving the following week.
In Australia, there are only a couple of subscription options to choose from. Go monthly for AU$15.99 , or get a great saving – effectively 12 months for the price of 10 – by getting an annual plan for AU$159.99 . There’s also a Disney Plus Premium plan available at AU$20.99 a month if you’re looking to boost your audio and video quality.
Ironheart Trailer
Marvel Television’s Ironheart | Official Trailer | Disney+ – YouTube
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Who is in the cast of Ironheart?
Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams / Ironheart
Anthony Ramos as Parker Robbins / The Hood
Lyric Ross as Natalie Washington
Alden Ehrenreich as Joe McGillicuddy
Regan Aliyah as Zelma Stanton
Manny Montana as “H.R.” John
Matthew Elam as Xavier Washington
Anji White as Ronnie Williams
Jim Rash as the Dean of MIT
Sonia Denis as Clown
Shakira Barrera as Ros Blood
Zoe Terakes as Jerry Blood
Shea Couleé as Slug
Eric André as Stuart Clarke / Rampage
Cree Summer as TBC
Sacha Baron Cohen as TBC
Ironheart Episode Release Schedule
Ironheart – Episode 1, “Take Me Home”: June 24
Ironheart – Episode 2, “Will The Real Natalie Please Stand Up”: June 24
Ironheart – Episode 3, “We In Danger, Girl”: June 24
Ironheart – Episode 4, “Bad Magic”: July 1
Ironheart – Episode 5, “Karma’s a Glitch”: July 1
Ironheart – Episode 6, “The Past is the Past”: July 1
So I’m pretty sure Robert Eggers is becoming the next John Carpenter, and I’m not complaining about that.
I don’t mean that in the sense that he’s becoming a slasher king – that’s not really Eggers’s style, and it never has been. But I’m saying that he’s getting up there as a horror icon, and honestly, everything he makes is usually painted in a layer of gold. It just does so well and is always so well-composed.
best horror movies, several of my favorites come from the Director’s Work. One of my favorite A24 horror movies, The Witch, is directed by him. Of course, the 2024 hit, Nosferatu, was a big one. And now, according to a report from Deadline, Eggers is developing an adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
In Eggers, we trust – even if A Christmas Carol isn’t closely related to horror. But honestly, his bringing a classic Christmas tale to life had me thinking about another holiday folktale that Eggers would rock – hear me out.
(Image credit: CBS)
I Love A Christmas Carol Adaptation As Much As Anyone Else
Before we get into this article, I want to state that this isn’t going to be a piece berating the choice of Eggers to bring A Christmas Carol to life. It’s not.
In all honesty, I trust anything that Eggers does because he delivers. He takes the time and effort to create not just films but masterpieces of cinema that truly feature some of the most wicked visuals and interesting storylines I have seen in a long time. Are they always award contenders? No, but I think that’s just because the Academy has a negative bias towards horror movies.
Either way, he has given us some incredible films, and he could certainly nail an adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
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There are so many A Christmas Carol adaptations out there that there sure is some stiff competition to beat. But out of anyone who could do it, I could see him taking it on. I’m sure he would find some way to make the three ghosts that visit him even more twisted and somehow devise a solution to formulate Marley even darker than the tale we already know him as.
And with Willem Dafoe as the lead choice to play Ebeneezer Scrooge? Eggers is already cooking.
However, there’s one other holiday folktale that, if Eggers wants to stick with Christmas-themed stories, he would be able to take it to another level.
he thanked SpongeBob SquarePants for introducing this generation to Nosferatu, as it inspired many younger people to go to the movies to see it, pairing that with an incredible cast.
At this point, my generation already knows what Krampus is, thanks to the movie that came out ten years ago (geez, has it been that long? I feel so old). While it’s not one of the best horror movies ever, it’s still a fun film that takes you on a ride and teaches you a new folktale to pass on from child to child.
However, because we already have that background and know how great Eggers is at bringing horror to the big screen, he and Krampus would likely be a huge success. Not only that, but it gives us an excuse to go to the theaters again on Christmas.
best Christmas horror movies ever. I know that we don’t want to associate literally the most jolly holiday of all time with something as scary as horror, but I really think this would be a huge hit.
Either way, it’ll be some time before we do end up seeing anything like this on the big screen, so for now, a girl can dream. And I’ll just be counting down the days until we get to see this new A Christmas Carol adaptation.
