While Animal Kingdom might be the Walt Disney theme park with the least amount of rides to go on, it certainly makes up for that with its vast amount of animals from around the globe. But what happens if one of them gets loose? It's quite the rare occurrence for anything life-threatening to happen at the Happiest Place on Earth, but I just learned a bizarre fact about Animal Kingdom that’s associated with a potential animal emergency.

At Walt Disney theme parks, the bathrooms are specifically designed to not have exterior entrance doors. This is an intentional way to allow crowd control to run smoothly when people enter and exit the facilities without any bottleneck going on. However, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the only one of them to actually have exterior doors on all their bathrooms as a special precaution. Apparently, in the unlikely event that a dangerous animal does get loose, park employees can ask guests to hide in these bathrooms and lock the doors shut.

This is pretty wild, right? It’s actually a rather ingenious way to have an evacuation location on the premises that is otherwise functional. This fact has previously been confirmed by a Disney cast member on TikTok and just resurfaced on my feed via an Instagram post.

Not only does this knowledge absolutely have me thinking about Animal Kingdom in a totally different way, I never totally realized the other bathrooms at other Walt Disney theme parks simply don’t have doors. Animal Kingdom isn’t a zoo where all the animals are in cages. They rather have fences, moats or other structures that look natural to their environment to keep them in their section of the park. It totally makes sense though for there to be an additional precaution like this.

There’s nothing really to worry about considering I’ve never really heard about an animal causing danger to guests before at the park, but there have been instances . For example, about a year ago, a Reddit user experienced a giraffe wandering into the safari road for a few minutes during one of the Kilimanjaro Safaris. The car paused for the giraffe before it was coaxed back to his section of the park, but, this is a pretty harmless situation. And, if it happened to me, my day would probably be made, honestly.

The more potentially dangerous animals like lions have deep moats separating them from guests, and specially designed terrain that they couldn’t escape if they tried. I don't know about you, but I love that Animal Kingdom allows the animals to roam without being constrained by a cage, and the Imagineers are sort of geniuses.

There are a lot of upcoming Walt Disney World attractions on the way, and Animal Kingdom will be gaining a new land called Tropical Americas. It’s expected to open sometime next year. Now that we both learned something new about its bathrooms, I know I will be seeing Animal Kingdom with new eyes.

Most theme parkgoers recognize there are some major differences between Disneyland and Disney World. The former has two parks and fits its best attractions in a tight space in Orange County, CA. The latter has four sprawling parks spread across 40+ square miles and with its own road system. They each have their charms, but they aren’t the same thing. So, I recognize that Disneyland and California Adventure would have more attractions per park than their Florida counterparts. And yet, I did not fully realize the insane differences between some of the parks.

A recent post created by the Disney Lemons popped up while I was perusing Instagram the other day, and it totally blew my mind out of nowhere. Here’s the breakdown of rides at each of the Disney parks built in the United States:

• Disneyland: 35
• Magic Kingdom: 26
• California Adventure: 19
• Epcot: 11
• Hollywood Studios: 9
• Animal Kingdom: Noted as 6 (*Let's talk this number out)

Listen, I knew Animal Kingdom was on the lower end of ride experiences when it came to Disney theme parks but the difference between it and Disneyland is truly shocking. Yes, it’s been exacerbated by recent changes in the parks, but still, there are 29 more rides in Disneyland than Animal Kingdom, and 29 is still a number larger than the park with the second most attractions (Magic Kingdom).

While there are some heavy hitters at Animal Kingdom between Expedition Everest and World of Pandora stuff, AK is going through some changes recently. The entirety of Dinoland, U.S.A. was shut down. While I was fine with Primeval Whirl going the way of the dinosaur (pun very much intended), it was a much sadder day when Dinosaur shut down, and that honestly cuts the number of “rides” even lower.

Right now Animal Kingdom has: Avatar Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids, Na’vi River Journey and if you count, Kilimanjaro Safaris and the Rafiki's Planet Watch Train, that's six rides. If you aren’t counting the latter two as "rides," there are only four rides currently open in the park, plus a slew of shows, experiences, walking trails and more.

I’m just saying, the difference between the value of what you get at Disneyland or even California Adventure trumps the parks, at least individually, at Disney World. What you get at World though includes many permutations of park hopping, world class restaurants, fun transportation including boats and the Skyliner, and great hotels at many different price points.

The good news? A Tropical Americas section of the parks is allegedly going in where the dinosaurs used to roam. AK will also be taking a note from Disneyland and putting an Indiana Jones ride in where Dinosaur was, which makes all the sense in the world since both rides were similar to begin with. It's also worth noting an Encanto ride is going into the area. All the construction has been great, but it's been a concern on many theme park fans' minds for a while.

Change is afoot, and I’m excited to see the Florida parks expand a bit in the coming years. I do think I should leave you on one final note. The post mentions that between the two parks in California, there are more rides in total than all four parks in Florida combined! (Though Disney World still has some of the best attractions.) I’d never thought about it, but when you put it that way it does give you fodder for thought.

The dinosaurs have begun to go extinct again. As of January 12th, sections of Animal Kingdom’s Dinoland, U.S.A., have officially shut down as Disney World prepares for construction on the Tropical Americas land slated for the area. While the flagship ride DINOSAUR will remain open for the rest of 2025, the family-friendly TriceraTop Spin wasn’t so lucky and has already joined the list of closed Walt Disney World attractions. The dinosaur-themed ride might not be anyone’s favorite, but it is a shame to see it completely scrapped. That's why I think the attraction should reimagined and moved elsewhere, specifically to a galaxy far, far away.

Yes, I’m talking about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge over at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Most people agree that Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is one of the best rides in any Disney Park and that Galaxy’s Edge is beautifully done. However, the land isn’t without its faults. High up on the list of guests’ concerns is the fact that the massive area only has two attractions, both of which have height requirements, making it impossible for families with small children to enjoy the land’s offerings together. That’s where TriceraTop Spin could come in.

The former Dinoland, U.S.A. ride operated just like Magic Kingdom’s Dumbo the Flying Elephant, but instead of boarding elephants, guests boarded dinosaurs. As of now, there are no dinosaurs in the Star Wars universe, but that doesn’t mean the attraction should be scrapped altogether. Instead, Imagineers should take the basic function of the ride and simply redesign the dinosaurs into creatures that fans of the franchise will recognize.

It would be a fairly simple redesign, too, given that many Star Wars creatures share similar body shapes with the triceratops. Just imagine what it would be like to be able to ride a Bantha like the Tusken Raiders on Tatooine or even a Blurrg like Kuiil did in The Mandalorian. It might take some extra pixie dust, but Imagineers might even be able to change the shape of the triceratops into a Tauntaun.

Not only would this save TriceraTop Spin from rotting away in a warehouse or being scrapped for parts, it would also pay homage to the rumored third attraction that was originally part of initial Galaxy’s Edge planning. That ride was said to involve guests getting on the back of a massive Bantha-like creature that would take them from one part of the area to the other. Unlike that idea, which would have taken up a massive footprint in the area and created more foot traffic congestion, a retheme of TriceraTop Spin would hardly impact the land at all, aside from raising the attraction total to three.

It's also not completely unheard of for Imagineers to take a formally shuttered attraction and retool it for a different area. In fact, it’s exactly what happened at Disney’s California Adventure Park when A Bug’s Land shut down. Instead of demolishing Flik’s Flyers — another Dumbo-like, family-friendly attraction — they rethemed and moved it over to Pixar Pier nine months later, where it became Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind.

The Imagineer and construction teams at Walt Disney World have a lot on their plate with a slew of new and upcoming attractions slated to begin development this year, so it’s unlikely that a move like this would happen anytime soon. But I’m definitely going to be keeping my fingers crossed that it does happen eventually.

A spin-off of Guy Ritchie's movie of the same name from 2020, The Gentlemen became one of the most acclaimed and highly watched original TV shows on Netflix (one of the best streaming services to subscribe to today) after it premiered in 2024. The series, starring Theo James as a British aristocrat who discovers his family's estate is the site of an enormous, illegal marijuana operation, has been renewed for a second season. While you wait to use your Netflix subscription to see the story eventually continue, we have plenty of other thematically or tonally similar shows on streaming to recommend.

Snatch (2017-2018)

Starring: Rupert Grint, Phoebe Dynevor

What it's about: A group of amateur thieves find themselves thrust into London’s criminal underworld after stumbling upon some dangerously valuable loot.

Why it is a TV show worth watching if you like The Gentlemen: The Gentlemen is not the only series inspired by one of the best Guy Ritchie movies as his star-studded, 2000 quasi-anthology Snatch was also reimagined into a TV show with a whole new story and cast of characters portrayed the likes of Harry Potter’s Rupert Grint and future Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor.

How to watch Snatch

• Stream Snatch on Fubo
• Buy Snatch on Amazon
• Buy Snatch on Blu-ray on Amazon

Lock, Stock... (2000)

Starring: Nick Jones, Rudolf Mestdagh, David Thacker, Sheree Folkson

What it's about: Four good friends constantly find themselves in over their heads in attempting to stay in good spirits with one of London’s most notorious crime lords.

Why it is a TV show worth watching if you like The Gentlemen: Snatch was not the first Guy Ritchie movie to inspire a TV show as the filmmaker’s 1998 debut, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, bred one season of the abbreviated Lock, Stock…, with each episode’s title replacing the "Two Smoking Barrels" with some other MacGuffin that gets the new main four into trouble.

How to watch Lock, Stock...

• Buy Lock, Stock... on Apple TV

Sexy Beast (2024-Present)

Starring: Emun Elliott, James McArdle

What it's about: A pair of up-and-coming London criminals are recruited by a powerful gangster for a job that comes with life-changing consequences.

Why it is a TV show worth watching if you like The Gentlemen: Guy Ritchie is not the only British filmmaker whose crime movies have been revived for the small screen as Academy Award nominee Jonathan Glazer’s 2000 feature-length debut inspired Paramount+'s Sexy Beast prequel series from creator Michael Caleo.

How to watch Sexy Beast

• Stream Sexy Beast on Paramount+

Get Shorty (2017-2019)

Starring: Chris O’Dowd, Ray Romano

What it's about: A Nevada-based mob enforcer moves to Los Angeles in hopes of putting his violent past behind him and branching out into the movie business.

Why it is a TV show worth watching if you like The Gentlemen: It is not just British filmmakers whose crime movies have been given the series reboot treatment as an acclaimed, funny reimagining of Elmore Leonard’s Get Shorty premiered (and lasted three seasons) more than two decades after Barry Sonnenfeld brought the novel to the big screen.

How to watch Get Shorty

• Stream Get Shorty on The Roku Channel
• Buy Get Shorty on Amazon
• Buy Get Shorty on DVD on Amazon

Animal Kingdom (2016-2022)

Starring: Ellen Barkin, Scott Speedman

What it's about: The misadventures of a Southern California family, headed by a ruthless matriarch, who indulge in criminal activity to support their free-wheeling lifestyles.

Why it is a TV show worth watching if you like The Gentlemen: Not only is TNT’s Animal Kingdom yet another series adaptation of an acclaimed crime movie (writer and director David Michôd’s Oscar-nominated Australian drama from 2010, in particular), it is also, like The Gentlemen, a family story at its core, but one that takes a considerably more earnest approach to its material.

How to watch Animal Kingdom

• Stream Animal Kingdom on Amazon Prime
• Buy Animal Kingdom on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Brothers Sun (2024)

Starring: Justin Chien, Sam Song Li, Michelle Yeoh

What it's about: A gangster’s comfortable life in Taipei is interrupted by the sudden murder of his father, forcing him to return to Los Angeles to look after his mother and his younger brother — the latter of which knows nothing about his true profession.

Why it is a TV show worth watching if you like The Gentlemen: Fans of comedic crime series involving an unassuming individual thrust into their family’s criminal lifestyle will be happy to know that Netflix dropped another 2024 series in that same vein, The Brothers Sun, which was cancelled after one season despite its vocal fanbase. Still definitely worth the watch, though.

How to watch The Brothers Sun

• Stream The Brothers Sun on Netflix

Brassic (2019-Present)

Starring: Joe Gilgun, Damien Molony

What it's about: The story of a disturbed man and his misadventures with his friends indulging in petty crimes — a tradition that soon becomes threatened when one ponders a possibly better life.

Why it is a TV show worth watching if you like The Gentlemen: One of the things that is most appealing to fans of The Gentlemen is its hilariously chaotic energy — something it has in common with Brassic, which is another British crime comedy (available on Prime, with a Hulu subscription, and on a few free streaming services) that also boasts a few similar themes.

How to watch Brassic

• Steam Brassic on Amazon Prime
• Stream Brassic on Hulu
• Stream Brassic on Tubi
• Stream Brassic on Peacock
• Stream Brassic on The Roku Channel

Good Girls (2018-2021)

Starring: Christina Hendricks, Retta, Mae Whitman

What it's about: Desperate circumstances force a trio of suburban mothers and good friends to take extreme risks to support themselves and their families.

Why it is a TV show worth watching if you like The Gentlemen: Yet another acclaimed comedic series about people turning to crime to make ends meet is the American-based Good Girls — creator Jenna Bans’ hit sitcom, which lasted four seasons on NBC, with a trio of A+ actresses leading the charge.

How to watch Good Girls

• Stream Good Girls on Netflix
• Buy Good Girls on Amazon
• Buy Good Girls on Blu-ray on Amazon

Farzi (2023-Present)

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Bhuvan Arora

What it's about: A well-intentioned man and his best friend find themselves in trouble with both sides of the law when they attempt to start their own counterfeit money scheme.

Why it is a TV show worth watching if you like The Gentlemen: Similar to Good Girls, Farzi (which translates to “fakes” in English) is a Hindi-language dark comedy series that involves a counterfeit money operation and, similar to The Gentlemen, it is yet another series involving people in over their heads attempting to cash in on the criminal underworld.

How to watch Farzi

• Stream Farzi on Amazon Prime

How To Sell Drugs Online (Fast) (2019-Present)

Starring: Maximilian Mundt

What it's about: In an attempt to impress his former girlfriend, a geeky teen starts a web-based service selling illicit substances that proves to be more successful (and problematic) than he imagined.

Why it is a TV show worth watching if you like The Gentlemen: Yet another International, Netflix exclusive series that details the struggles of the amateur criminal lifestyle in a humorous fashion is How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) — a German-based show from creators Philipp Käßbohrer and Matthias Murmann.

• Stream How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) on Netflix

Fans of The Gentlemen should be in for a criminally good time if they stream any of these shows, and keep an eye on the 2024 TV schedule to see which upcoming new series might be of interest.

With Bob Iger back in charge of the Walt Disney Company and the proxy fight over the board of directors finally over, the Mouse House seems to have shifted its attention back where it belongs in part: the theme parks. Almost immediately after retaining control, the CEO shared concept art for a possible Avatar-themed land at Disneyland, while news that a Tomorrowland attraction is getting a much-needed update also was released. It’s not just Disneyland though that’s set to receive some major TLC in the next few years, it's Disney World as well. 

Specifically, Imagineers have their sights set on expanding Animal Kingdom, which hasn’t seen any major park construction since the completion of Pandora in May 2017. And with Joe Rohde, a famous former Imagineer and Animal Kingdom Park’s creator, reportedly working with Disney again, all signs point to the underappreciated park being first in line for construction. However, not everyone is thrilled about the new changes the company is proposing, myself included. 

Animal Kingdom’s Tropical Americas Begins To Take Shape 

For years now, there have been talks of Animal Kingdom’s Dinoland U.S.A. getting some much-needed TLC. 

Back in 2020, the theme park officially closed Primeval Whirl, an extremely unpopular family coaster that was previously operating on a seasonal basis. The ride was later demolished and the land has been left vacant since. 

Then, at the 2021 D23 Expo, it was teased that the land could face a major retheming. Well, it looks like that possibility is getting closer to happening thanks to the latest video the Walt Disney Imagineering official Instagram shared: 

The video shows a 3D model of the potential new land, Tropical Americas, that would, presumably, be built in Dinoland, U.S.A. Included in the models is a real-life version of the Encanto Casita. In addition, there is a Latin American-inspired pyramid in the distance that could represent the reported Indiana Jones land that has also been teased for the animal theme park. 

But I’m Not Thrilled About This Change For Animal Kingdom

When it comes to Disney Parks news, it’s impossible to please everyone. This is especially true when a new expansion includes retheming an area or ride that previously existed. While it’s no secret that Dinoland, U.S.A. needs a major update to keep up with the rest of the park, I’m not sure gutting that area for the Tropical Americas is the right move. 

For one, Animal Kingdom has always had three core values as explained by Rohde. The park must have an “instinctive value of nature,” a “transformation through adventure” and a “personal call to action.” In short, it’s all about animals and nature.

At this stage in the planning process, it’s hard for me to see how an Encanto and Indiana Jones-themed section of this new land fits in with those ideals. If this was simply an exploration of Latin America then it could potentially work, but because it’s grounded in these specific Disney IPs, when other lands in this park don't, I have concerns. 

Like many, including Encanto songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, I think Encanto would make a great addition to Walt Disney World. I just don't think Animal Kingdom is the right park. It would be amazing to see it featured in Epcot’s World Showcase where it could show off Columbian culture, or maybe even Magic Kingdom, given the magical elements of the movie. As for Indiana Jones, well, there’s already plenty of Indy representation in other Disney parks around the world, does Disney World really need it too? 

Now, some might say Dinoland U.S.A. never fit into the Animal Kingdom ideals in the first place so it’s time for it to go.  But I’d argue that’s not true. Dinosaurs might not exist now, but they’re prehistoric animals that were instinct to Earth during their reign. Part of what makes Dinoland U.S.A. so special is that it touches on a part of nature that we’ll never get to really experience. More than that, it’s one of the only young child-friendly areas of the park with The Boneyard Playground and other hands-on activities. 

Regardless, it seems like the dinosaurs' days are once again numbered. While no closing date has been set for an unpopular area of the park, I predict one will be shared at the upcoming D23 Ultimate Fan Event in August. 

Over the course of the past five years or so, Molly Gordon has become one of the most noticeable rising stars in film and TV. With roles in everything from tongue-in-cheek comedies like Theater Camp to Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, (which was given the axe), the actress, screenwriter and director has put together quite a resume for herself while building up her name.

If you’ve recently watched the versatile actress show off both her comedic and dramatic acting skills as of late, and want to see more of what she has to offer, stick around. Let’s break down the best Molly Gordon movies and TV shows and how to watch them, be it on a streaming service or with an Amazon subscription. 

Theater Camp (2023)

Based on the 2020 short film of the same name, Theater Camp follows a group of counselors and attendees of an upstate New York acting program as they try to survive the summer after their co-founder falls into a coma and her ill-prepared son takes over. Molly Gordon leads the cast alongside Ben Platt as Rebecca-Diane and Amos Klobuchar, respectively, as they push through the chaos and crassness of the season.

Not only does Gordon star in the movie, which is available to stream with a Hulu subscription, she also co-wrote the script and made her directorial debut with the project. It’s funny, honest a brisk watch, clocking in at just over 90 minutes.

Rent/Buy Theater Camp on Amazon.

Shiva Baby (2021) 

Before Emma Seligman punched through teen comedy tropes with the 2023 movie Bottoms, she made her feature film directorial debut with Shiva Baby, which was based on her 2018 short film of the same name. The comedy, which pulls no punches, follows college student Danielle (Rachel Sennot) as she has a series of awkward encounters while attending a funeral service with her parents.

One of those interactions is with Maya, Danielle’s ex-girlfriend, who’s played by Molly Gordon. Over the course of the movie, the two former lovers go through the whole gamut of emotions, which adds a whole other layer to this dramatic and strangely funny affair.

Rent/Buy Shiva Baby on Amazon.

The Bear (2023) 

The Bear kicked off Season 2 in a beautiful and dramatic way, and never really let off the gas through the rest of the popular Hulu original series’ second course. Throughout the 2023 season, several new characters were introduced and helped flesh out the stories of Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Richie, including Molly Gordon’s Claire.

Though the status of their relationship is one of the big questions we have after The Bear Season 2 finale, Gordon’s performance and the way her character brought out a new side of Carmy was nothing short of amazing.

Stream The Bear on Hulu.

Booksmart (2019) 

One of the great Gen-Z coming-of-age comedies, Booksmart follows high school seniors Amy Antsler (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly Davidson (Beanie Feldstein) as they attempt to finally break out of their shells the night before their graduation. Over the course of the night, the two longtime friends learn more about their peers, each other and themselves than they could have ever imagined.

Though she’s not front and center in Olivia Wilde’s feature film directorial debut, Molly Gordon still has an impact on its story with her portrayal of Annabelle, a.k.a. “Triple A,” an incredibly popular and smart classmate with quite a reputation around school. 

Rent/Buy Booksmart on Amazon.

Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty (2022 - 2023) 

Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty is the latest in a long line of HBO shows canceled too soon, which is a shame considering its wonderful story, captivating performances and an unfortunate finale that will make longtime Lakers fans not too happy.

One of the standout characters from the sports drama series was Molly Gordon’s Linda Zafrani, a key member of the Los Angeles Lakers organization. As one of the more complex and ambitious characters on the show, the powerful figure was brought to life by Gordon’s performance.

Stream Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty on Max.
Buy Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty on Amazon.

The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020)

Natalie Krinsky’s 2020 romantic comedy The Broken Hearts Gallery centers on Lucy Gulliver (Geraldine Viswanathan), a New Yorker who turns her latest breakup into an art gallery containing items and artifacts collected by various people during their relationships over the years. What starts out as a way to get over her ex quickly turns into something unexpected and a lot more worthwhile.

Molly Gordon pops up as Amanda, one of Lucy’s best friends who assists her in her grieving process, and later helps on her journey back to the land of the living and supports her with her latest creative venture, for better or worse.

Rent/Buy The Broken Hearts Gallery on Amazon.

Good Boys (2019) 

Gene Stupnitsky’s raucous 2019 coming-of-age comedy Good Boys follows best friends Max (Jacob Tremblay), Lucas (Keith L. Williams) and Thor (Brady Noon) as they find themselves in one difficult (and over-the-top) situation after another, culminating in a massive journey involving drugs, the police, and a drone.

Molly Gordon shows up in the picture as Hannah, Max’s neighbor who becomes somewhat of the movie’s villain after the boys come into possession of her ecstasy. A fun cat-and-mouse game with all kinds of stakes ensues, taking the boys, and pretty much everyone else in their orbit, on one wild journey.

Rent/Buy Good Boys on Amazon.

Animal Kingdom (2016 - 2018)

Animal Kingdom, the TNT drama series inspired by the Australian crime film of the same name, spent six seasons telling the story of the Cody family, a California-based criminal enterprise involved in pretty much all aspects of life in the town of Oceanside before ending its run in 2022.

Far more dramatic than anything she’s done since, Animal Kingdom saw Molly Gordon take on the role of Nicky Belmont, a rather tragic character and former girlfriend of the show’s central character, Joshua “J” Cody (Finn Cole). A fixture for the first three seasons of the series, Nicky went through a lot, to say the least. 

Stream Animal Kingdom on Prime Video.

Ramy (2019 - 2022)

Created by actor and comedian Ramy Youssef, the Hulu series Ramy follows a fictionalized version of Youssef, also named Ramy, as he attempts to navigate his deeply dividing neighborhood in New Jersey. Caught between two generations, the American Muslim attempts to make sense of the world around him as well as the internal struggles he faces day-in and day-out.

Molly Gordon only shows up in a few episodes throughout the show’s first three seasons, but this shouldn’t deter her fans from checking it out (if they haven’t already). The show takes a lot of chances, blends comedy and drama, and it has an incredibly unique voice, making it a must-watch.

Stream Ramy on Hulu.
Buy Ramy on Amazon.

Though we don’t yet know where Molly Gordon will take audiences (and TV viewers) in the years to come, it's going to be quite the journey.

Walt Disney World’s multiyear project to update half of Epcot is almost complete, and once that happens, odds are the focus at the resort is going to shift over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. That park has a long-ignored area, Dinoland U.S.A., that we’ve already been told is slated for replacement. What we don’t know for sure is just what we’ll get, though at this point it seems like the smart money is on a Zootopia-themed land.

On its face, a Zootopia Land may seem like it makes a lot of sense. It’s a movie about animals, and this is inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom. However, I’d argue that the movie doesn’t lend itself to that park nearly as well as it may seem. There’s a pretty good chance that we’ll be getting a definitive answer to the future of Animal Kingdom very soon, and it will probably be Zootopia, even though it really shouldn’t be.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Is Getting Ready To Replace A Whole Land 

Dinoland U.S.A. has been a strange part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom since the park’s inception. While the rest of the theme park was inspired by living animals of today, Dinoland was inspired by those that were extinct. While the Countdown to Extinction attraction, simply called Dinosaur today, is still one of the best rides at Animal Kingdom, the rest of the area was given over to midway-style games that have never felt at home at Disney Parks.

Replacing Dinoland U.S.A. with something a bit more fitting is the right move. The area needs something to breathe new life into it, and while losing Dinosaur would be unfortunate, it’s the price that we may need to pay so that we get something new here. We know that something new is coming, we just don't know when it will be here or what exactly it will be. 

Zootopia Is One Of The Ideas Being Considered To Replace Dinoland 

At the D23 Expo in 2022, Disney did something a bit unusual at the panel dedicated to news about the Parks. The final portion of the presentation wasn’t about what was coming to Disney Parks, but what might come to them. A discussion of Dinoland U.S.A. did take place, but rather than simply announcing a new plan for the area, two different ideas were suggested: one was Zootopia, the other was Moana.

Of the two, Zootopia already seemed like the more likely scenario. Moana was already in line to get an attraction at Epcot, while there was not yet anything related to Zootopia at Walt Disney World, or Disneyland Resort for that matter. 

Disney's Animal Kingdom’s Theme Is Conservation, Not Animal Life 

The problem with Zootopia at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is that while the park is full of animals, and so is Zootopia, that’s not really what Animal Kingdom is ultimately about. The ethos of Animal Kingdom is one of conservation of nature, and while Zootopia is a fantastic movie with a core story that is absolutely worth celebrating, the story is about human issues of systemic inequality, not conservation.

While there is a predator/prey dynamic in Zootopia, the film is an allegory for humanity's problems with itself, not humanity’s interactions with the animal kingdom. The mere idea of building a Zootopia land, when Zootopia is a city that would encroach on the animals that exist at Animal Kingdom, goes largely against the concepts of the park as conceived.

There's a place for Zootopia at Disney Parks, even someplace at Walt Disney World, but Animal Kingdom is the wrong place for it. Even Pandora: The World of Avatar, as much as it may seem out of place with its alien creatures, is ultimately telling a story about conservation and why it's important to protect nature. That's why it works. The previously mentioned Moana idea is at least closer to the mark, as that is a movie that deals with a threat to the natural world.

 A Zootopia Land Is Already On The Way In One Disney Park

And yet, it seems like a pretty sure bet that a Zootopia land could be coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The best evidence of this is the fact that a Zootopia land is already in development at Shanghai Disney Resort. 

We recently got a glimpse of what is coming to the new land, including a Zootopia attraction, Hot Pursuit, that appears to use a Rise of the Resistance-style ride system for a trackless dark ride. While the current Dinosaur attraction uses a traditional track, it’s not hard to imagine the Dinosaur building being upgraded and retrofitted for something like this, even if it ends up being a smaller version of the attraction.

At the end of the day, building the same land twice is cheaper than building new lands everywhere. In just the past five years, we’ve seen two versions of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and two versions of Avengers Campus, as well as two planned World of Frozen lands, all planned at different parks. It’s becoming more rare to see unique lands appear in one park that don’t appear anywhere else. 

We also know that Disney has big plans for Zootopia as a franchise. Another Zootopia movie is in development, which isn't a shock considering the first one made $1 billion. Zootopia was a massive hit, especially overseas, and you can’t discount the importance of overseas tourism to Walt Disney World when it comes to what Disney Parks may be considering for the future. 

On Saturday morning at the Destination D23 event, there will be a presentation from Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, and it will be an absolute shock if we don’t hear more about the plans for Dinoland U.S.A. At this point, it seems like almost a foregone conclusion that Zootopiua will be the new land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. As a fan of the movie and somebody who believes it’s a truly special film that deals with real issues in a way few animated Disney films do, I would love to visit Zootopia. I just feel like it belongs in another park.

Animal Kingdom is one of the best crime dramas currently airing. It follows the Cody family as they engage in criminal behavior — mainly robbery, violence, and drug use. It’s a TNT original TV show based on an Australian film of the same name. Animal Kingdom premiered on TNT in 2016, and is currently airing the sixth and final season as one of the major TV shows ending in 2022.

Though Animal Kingdom is coming to an end, there is still plenty of time to catch up before the series finale. Despite the fact that Animal Kingdom is a really thrilling drama, it’s a show that doesn’t get enough attention. If you’ve never seen it, here are some of the reasons why you should watch. 

Animal Kingdom Has Morally Questionable Characters Who Are Still Likable  

Many would say morally questionable characters who are still likable are antiheroes, but I wouldn’t exactly classify the Cody family as antiheroes, nor do I think they are the bad guys of this story. They fall more into the category of complicated protagonists. They commit crimes, but it’s because it’s the lifestyle that’s been ingrained in them since birth. 

They may enjoy it at times, but I get the feeling that if most of them knew any other way to really live, they might stop the crime. One of the things that makes these characters so fascinating is that they’re all extremely flawed and sometimes do really terrible things, but you can understand their motives.

It’s usually tied to some other issue, either from their childhood or their destructive familial relationships. Each character has, at least once, done something damaging to themselves or others, but almost all of them are able to pull the audience back to being on their side. It’s as much a toxic relationship for the viewers as it is for the family. That is kind of what makes it a compelling TV show. 

Entertaining Heist Scenes 

The Cody family often has some scheme or robbery they need to pull off to increase their wealth, keep their power, or just to survive. As the seasons have progressed, there seem to be more heist scenes and activity. These aren’t like big blockbuster heist movies, but the scenes are interesting enough for viewers to be drawn into the outcome. 

You watch on the edge of your seat as you wonder if J (Finn Cole), Pope (Shawn Hatosy), Deran (Jake Weary), and Craig (Ben Robson) will be able to execute their plan without being caught. It’s thrilling and the type of action that keeps the show exciting. 

A Nice Blend Of Comedy And Drama 

I am someone who will preach that the best TV dramas can effortlessly blend comedy and drama. I want to be on the brink of crying or laughing at any given moment. Animal Kingdom is one of those shows that delivers in the comedy and drama departments. It’s definitely more drama than comedy, but that’s what makes those comedic moments so special. They come out of nowhere but match the series' tone perfectly. If the show was all drama, it would be a little overwhelming, so that’s why it’s nice to have some lighter moments for a little bit of a break from the intensity. 

These comedic scenes also help establish the family dynamic. Even the most dramatic family has a fun moment once or twice. 

Twists And Turns That Are Actually Shocking 

This Animal Kingdom post is spoiler-free, so I won’t list the moments that shocked me. I consider myself someone who has watched enough TV shows and movies to see a twist coming a mile away. I can spot a TV death down on Earth from space. Basically, I’m saying that it is really hard to shock me. Animal Kingdom has surprised me more than a few times. 

This is one reason that I’m excited to see how it all ends, because I think I can guess what the future holds for all the main characters, but Animal Kingdom may surprise me again because it is not afraid to do the unexpected. Characters you expect to be invincible may die, characters who seem like they won’t make it further than the first episode managed to survive, and betrayals by the most unlikely sources happen all the time. Animal Kingdom never allows its viewers to become completely comfortable. They should always fear an unexpected twist or event. 

Award-Worthy Performances 

All of the Animal Kingdom characters have been ruthless at one point, but they’ve also been vulnerable, caring, and supporting when others are fighting some sort of demon. The actors behind these characters have had a lot of different emotions to play and they’ve played them well. There are many TV shows that have been snubbed by the Emmys and other major award shows. In the past, it was almost a crime to ignore great TV shows, but in 2022, it’s almost understandable. There are so many great TV shows out there and it's nearly impossible to give recognition to everyone who may deserve it. However, as a fan of Animal Kingdom, I do wish the actors were entered into the Emmy conversation more.

Ellen Barkin, Shawn Hatosy, and Finn Cole especially deserve some discussion, because they’ve given standout performances all throughout the TV show. Finn Cole deserves a nomination alone for having a believable American accent for all these seasons. Hatosy excels at giving us tortured Pope week after week. I wish someone would recognize his efforts. It seems that these actors won’t ever get the award nominations they deserve, at least not for Animal Kingdom. 

However, fans of the show know the greatness of the Animal Kingdom performances. 

Animal Kingdom Is A Good Show To Binge Because Of The Pace And Plot  

When Animal Kingdom reaches its series finale, it will have 75 episodes in total. The first season only had 10 episodes, but the other five have each had 13 episodes. This may seem like a lot of episodes, but the show’s pace makes it easy to binge-watch. By the end of the pilot episode, you’re ready to play another.

Because you’ll be enthralled to find out more, you could end up binge-watching the show in anywhere from a few days to a couple of months. Luckily for those who don’t subscribe to TNT, Amazon Prime Video has it show available to watch. The current season is only available if you pay to preorder it, though.

However, Amazon Prime Video generally makes the past seasons available fairly quickly. They’re usually available a little less than a year after the season airs and definitely before the new season begins. Because Animal Kingdom Season 6 is the last, Amazon Prime Video and TNT may make it available even earlier than some of the past seasons. 

Until then, those new to the show can watch the first five seasons on Amazon Prime. Animal Kingdom is currently one of the best shows on the summer 2022 TV schedule, so it’s not too late to catch up.

Animal Kingdom airs every Sunday at 9:00 PM EST on TNT. 

Every time a new show arrives on TV or any one of the various streaming services like Hulu and HBO Max, something has to get cut to make room for the new growth. It has happened before and will continue to happen as long as the medium is alive or until the lights finally go out. And 2022 is no different, as some of the biggest shows of the past decade (or longer) like Better Call Saul, Peaky Blinders, and The Walking Dead Season 11 will all air their final episodes at some point this year.

Below is a rather comprehensive list of all the TV shows that are ending or cancelled in 2022. There’s a lot to go over here, so let’s get started before another show is giving the axe or added to the list of titles leaving Netflix.

4400

The CW’s reboot of 4400, which followed a group of people who suddenly return after going missing with no memory of what happened, was one of the numerous series cancelled in May 2022. The show only lasted one season after premiering in October 2021.

A Discovery Of Witches

In December 2021, Digital Spy reported that the third and final season of the popular romantic drama A Discovery of Witches starring Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer would start up January 7, 2022. The series, which debuted in the UK in 2018 can be watched in its entirety on the AMC+ streaming platform.

Animal Kingdom

In April 2022, TNT finally announced the release date of the sixth and final season of the drama series Animal Kingdom, which is set to kick off Sunday, June 19, bringing an end to the epic saga of the Cody crime family.

Archive 81

Fans of the supernatural horror series Archive 81 were in for a shocker when Netflix announced the show, which was based on the podcast of the same name, would not be returning for a second season.

Arthur

The PBS Kids series Arthur, which is based on the collection of children’s books of the same name, has been releasing new episodes on a fairly consistent basis since September 1996. That run ends in 2022 when the show’s 25th and final season debuts, per the New York Times. However, PBS is leaving the door open for more Arthur content in the future.

After Life

The Ricky Gervais black comedy series After Life has called Netflix home its entire run dating back to March 2019, but that comes to an end when the third and final set of episodes debuted on the streaming service on January 14, 2022. The show’s final season was confirmed by the Netflix UK & Ireland Twitter account in December 2021.

Atlanta

Although it’s not one of the shows that got the ax, Donald Glover’s beloved FX series, Atlanta, will be ending its run following the release of the fourth and final season, which is slated to premiere at some point in fall 2022.

B Positive 

The Thomas Middleditch- and Annaleigh Ashford-starring CBS sitcom, B Positive, never really took off with audiences throughout its two-season run, which resulted in the network pulling the plug after the Season 2 finale in May 2015.

Batwoman

Gotham lost one of its protectors in April 2022 when The CW announced that Batwoman would not be returning for a fourth season, making the Season 3 finale also the final episode.

Better Call Saul

Since 2015, Vince Gilligan’s Better Call Saul has been one of the best shows, not just on AMC but TV in general. But everything must come to an end at some point, and that time has come for the the Bob Odenkirk-led dark comedy series. Better Call Saul Season 6 debuted April 18, 2022.

Better Things

The FX comedy series Better Things will come to an end when the show’s fifth and final season premiered on February 28, 2022. The series, which followed single mother and working actress Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon, who also co-created the show alongside Louis C.K.) first debuted back in September 2016, and was called a “frank and funny look at womanhood” in the CinemaBlend review.

The Big Leap

The Fox musical comedy-drama, The Big Leap, which followed a group of people who put it all on the line in a reality dance competition, won’t be returning for more episodes after Fox cancelled the series following one season, in March 2022.

Black-ish

Kenya Barris’ successful and influential comedy series black-ish kicked off its eighth and final season on ABC on January 4, 2022, starting the final chapter in the story of sitcom that has spawned multiple spinoffs and received numerous awards over the years including a Golden Globe, a Primetime Emmy, and more than two dozen NAACP Image Awards.

Black Market With Michael K. Williams

The Vice TV docuseries Black Market with Michael K. Williams will come to an end after its second and final season premiered January 10, 2022 on the network, per Variety. The series, which originally premiered back in 2016, was forced to come to an end following the shocking and untimely death of host Michael K. Williams in September 2021.

Bull

The popular CBS legal drama series, Bull, which centered on Michael Weatherly’s tenacious psychologist and jury expert, is not returning for a seventh season, though it got a chance to wrap things up with a two-part series finale in May 2022.

Charmed

After four seasons, The CW cancelled the Charmed reboot series in May 2022, alongside several other of the network’s notable shows.

Claws

The final episode of the TNT dramedy series Claws will air its final episode when Season 4 concluded February 6, 2022, a little less than five years after it debuted on the cable network. The fourth and final season of the hit series was announced back in October 2019, per Deadline, and premiered in December 2021.

Cooking With Paris

Just a few months after it made its Netflix debut in August 2021, Cooking with Paris was cancelled by the streaming service. The Paris Hilton-led cooking program, which featured a number of guest stars and hilarious culinary situations, was not renewed for a second season, per Deadline.

Dead To Me

After three seasons, the Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate-led dark comedy Dead to Me came to an end on Netflix. The finale, which offered closure, aired in November 2022.

The Dr. Oz Show

The Dr. Oz Show, the daytime talk series hosted by Dr. Mehmet Oz ended after 13 seasons and nearly 1,700 episodes on January 14, 2022. The talk show ended its run after Oz announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, per Variety.

Dynasty

The 2017 revival of Dynasty was another series that was cancelled by The CW in May 2022, bringing an end to the show’s five-season run that was just four episodes away from hitting the 100-episode mark.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

The Ellen DeGeneres Show will complete its historic daytime run when the syndicated talk show completes its 19th and final season at some point in 2022. The announcement to end things came from DeGeneres herself in 2021, when she said she needed something new to challenge her.

Endeavour

After nearly a decade on the airwaves, the British detective series Endeavour will finally come to an end following the conclusion of its ninth and final season, according to TV Line.  

The Endgame

The Morena Baccarin and Ryan Michelle Bathé-led The Endgame joined the list of cancelled NBC shows in May 2022, according to Variety, bringing an end to the drama series after just one season on the network.

The Expanse

After six seasons (and two different homes), the popular sci-fi series The Expanse aired its final episode on January 14, 2022, on Amazon a little less than six years to the date of its debut on SyFy. 

The Good Fight

The Paramount+ (and CBS All Access before that) legal drama The Good Fight will come to an end following the conclusion of its sixth season, which premiered in September 2022.

Good Sam

In May 2022, CBS pulled the plug on the freshman medical drama series, Good Sam, that saw Jason Isaacs and Sophia Bush play a father-daughter doctor duo. According to Deadline, the series was the lowest-rated scripted program on CBS in the 2021-2022 season.

Grace and Frankie

Grace and Frankie, the long-running Netflix comedy series starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as two women who become friends when their husbands announce they are in love with one another, came to an end with its seventh season. The first crop of episodes premiered in August 2021 with the second following on April 29, 2022.

His Dark Materials

The fantasy drama series His Dark Materials (BBC One in The U.K.; HBO in The U.S.) will be back for a third and final season in December 2022

How We Roll

Not even two months after Pete Holmes’ bowling-centric CBS comedy series, How We Roll, made its debut, the network decided to give the show the ax in May 2022, according to Deadline.

I Know What You Did Last Summer

The Prime Video series I Know What You Did Last Summer, the remake series of the 1997 teen slasher of the same name, won’t receive a second season after Amazon decided to give the series the axe in January 2022, according to Deadline.

In The Dark

The fourth and final season of The CW’s police procedural series, In the Dark, will premiere on the popular network on June 6, 2022, per Deadline.

Kenan

Kenan Thompson may be the longest-running Saturday Night Live cast member, but his return to the world of sitcoms will be short-lived, as NBC cancelled his Kenan series following two seasons, in May 2022, according to Variety.

Kevin Can F**K Himself

The AMC dark comedy series Kevin Can F**K Himself starring Annie Murphy concluded its brief, two-season run in 2022.

Killing Eve

Killing Eve Season 4 premiered February 27, 2022 on BBC America, started the final set of episodes following the complicated lives of intelligence agent Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) and skilled assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer). The eight-episode final season was announced in 2021, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Legacies

When the Legacies Season 4 finale aired on June 16, 2022, it was also the final episode for The CW’s fantasy drama series, which was among the numerous shows cancelled by the network in May 2022.

Legends Of Tomorrow

The Arrowverse got a little smaller in April 2022, when it was announced that Legends of Tomorrow would not be returning for an eighth season on The CW, bringing an end to the long-running and popular superhero series.

Locke And Key

The Netflix fantasy horror series Locke & Key will came to an end in August 202 when the show’s third and final season premiered on the streaming service.

Love, Victor

In February 2022 it was announced that Hulu’s romantic comedy-drama series, Love, Victor, would be coming to an end following the conclusion of the show’s third season, which premiered on June 15, 2022.

Made For Love

The Cristin Milioti-led tech dramedy Made for Love was cancelled by HBO Max after two seasons in June 2022, according to EW.

Magnum, P.I.

Fans of the Magnum P.I. reboot series on CBS will have to find another way to spend their Friday nights, as the long-running action crime drama was cancelled just days after the Season 4 finale in May 2022, per Deadline.

Maury

After 30 seasons and more than 3,600 episodes, the daytime talk show Maury aired its final episode in May 2022, just a few months after host Maury Povich announced he would be retiring.

Mr. Mayor

Ted Danson’s NBC sitcom Mr. Mayor, which followed a former ad executive played by the beloved actor as he ran and became the mayor of Los Angeles, was cancelled by NBC in May 2022, per The Hollywood Reporter, bringing an end to its two-season run.

Naomi

The superhero drama series, Naomi, was another show cancelled by The CW in May 2022, a decision that was announced just days after the Season 1 finale aired.

New Amsterdam

The popular medical drama series, New Amsterdam, was cancelled by NBC in March 2022, but the show starring Ryan Eggold as a medical director who comes up with a revolutionary way of caring for patients will return for a fifth and final season, per Deadline.

Nick Cannon

In March 2022 it was announced that another daytime talk show would be closing up shop, as Nick Cannon was cancelled after just one season on TV.

Ordinary Joe

The NBC drama series Ordinary Joe, which debuted in September 2021, was cancelled by the network in March 2022, according to Variety. 

Ozark

The popular crime drama series Ozark, which has been one of the best shows on Netflix since its 2017 debut, ended things with a two-part, 14-episode final season in 2022. The first part of Ozark Season 4 premiered January 21, 2022, with the second half following in April.

Peaky Blinders

The worldwide sensation that is Peaky Blinders will completed its run with the sixth and final season in April 2022. But it’s not the end of the road for Steven Knight’s crime drama as a film adaptation is set to enter production in 2023.

Queen Sugar

Ava DuVernay’s OWN drama series Queen Sugar is another show that will end things in 2022. In November 2021, Deadline reported that the series, which debuted in 2016, wrapped up in November 2022.

Raised By Wolves

The science-fiction series Raised By Wolves, created by Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, and Aaron Guzikowski, was cancelled by HBO Max in June 2022, according to Variety. The series, which debuted in 2020 on the streaming service, completed its second and final season in March 2022.

Roswell, New Mexico

When Roswell, New Mexico Season 4 starts up on The CW in June 2022, it will be the final set of episodes for The CW’s sci-fi drama series, which was cancelled alongside several other scripted programs in May 2022.

Search Party

The HBO Max dark comedy series Search Party returned for a fifth and final season on January 7, 2022, bringing an end to the Alia Shawkat-led show that originally started out on TBS back in 2016. 

This Is Us

One of the most successful runs on broadcast TV in recent memory will come to an end with the conclusion of This Is Us Season 6, which officially got underway January 4, 2022 on NBC. 

The Walking Dead

Perhaps the biggest TV show that came to an end in 2022, The Walking Dead concluded its 11-season run on AMC. The decision to bring the long-running series to a close was first announced in 2020, when it was revealed that the supercharged season would consist of 24 episodes.

United States Of Al

Just one week before United States of Al Season 2 was set to conclude on CBS, the Chuck Lorre-produced sitcom was cancelled by the network, according to EW.

TV Shows Expected To Be Ending In 2022

There are several other TV shows that are expected to be ending in 2022 but don’t have a release date or window at this point. Take a look at some of those series down below.

Family Reunion
Happy Valley
Hilda
Kid Cosmic
Motherland: Fort Salem
The Owl House
Wu-Tang: An American Saga

Although all of these shows will be coming to an end at some point in 2022, there are still of plenty of new and returning series coming out throughout the year. If you want to stay in the know check out CinemaBlend's list of all the 2022 TV premiere dates.

If you’ve been to Disney World’s Animal Kingdom and you’re a thrill ride junkee, there’s probably nothing more exhilarating than riding Expedition Everest. The ride has surprise twists and turns, which I won’t spoil here, and it has been a popular ride in the park since its opening in 2006. Only, if you’ve been to Walt Disney World in recent days, you probably haven’t been able to revisit or experience the wonderful ride for the first time, since it’s been closed for a hot minute. Unfortunately, it now looks like the latest update is not actually a date of reopening. If you are a fan like me, you may be a bit bummed about this development. 

To note, Disney hasn’t outright said, ‘the ride’s still not in good shape” or anything, but some eagle-eyed Disney Parks experience users did realize Walt Disney World has made a key change. As recently as a few days ago, the official site of the Orlando Parks had listed a return month for the coaster, noting it would be down for refurbishment from "January 4 to mid-April" with the Florida park citing "closed for refurbishment" as the reason for the shutdown. 

Well, it’s now mid-April and Disney World has removed the initial message the theme park had written about the refurbishment timeline. Instead, there’s a new message on the official website, as you can see below.   

You’ll note, there’s not longer a specific timeframe, which could mean bad news for anyone who already has a trip to the Florida theme parks on the books. It’s unclear now when the ride will actually be coming back online for riders. This isn’t the first time Walt Disney World has had to deal with issues with the coaster. Just from being in the parks personally, the ride breaks down or has to be shut down due to bad weather a fair amount. Of course, there’s also the issue of the 25-ft Yeti that hasn’t moved on Expedition Everest for some time. But Everest also just so happens to be one of the best Disney World rides, not just in Animal Kingdom, but in any of the parks, so fans are likely champing at the bit for its big return. 

It would have been particularly cool if the ride had been able to reopen on April 7, which would have been the same day the ride originally opened back in the early 2000s ('06) on the occasion of Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary year. 

Granted, there’s still plenty to do at Animal Kingdom. The Kilimanjaro Safari remains a perennial favorite, and the longest wait times in the parks have been for the two Avatar Rides, which opened back in 2017, since about that time. Kali River Rapids can also commandeer long wait times on hot days. (And the water ride really deserves it's own movie, but that's an argument for another day.)

Still, there are fewer rides in the Animal Kingdom park than other parks on property, particularly after the Disney World park closed its other coaster Primeval Whirl. The exception there may be Epcot, which is going through serious additions and changes right now, including opening the eagerly-anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy Coaster: Cosmic Rewind. Regardless, losing out on Expedition Everest for a long period of time is a loss for parkgoers, particularly when it seems as if it might be ongoing... 

Selfishly I just hope Everest is back up and running by the next time I make it to the parks. It really is one of the best rides and here's hoping for a return date sooner rather than later. 

Disney World is always changing. Some areas in Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios feel fresh and new while others do feel tired. In recent months, one of those latter areas got rid of what was possibly the worst ride in any Disney park: Primeval Whirl. Now, it looks as if that area is getting at least some sort of revamping thanks to some news a new permit has been filed. 

Primeval Whirl is a part of Dinoland U.S.A. at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Park. The area has some food booths, a restroom, some carnival games, and until recently Primeval Whirl and TriceraTop Spin. On the outskirts of the area is the higher octane ride Dinosaur. In general the concept of having a dino-filled area for kids is a solid one, but this area of the park has, frankly, been a disaster for a while. 

Primeval Whirl I’d be willing to defend as one of the worst rides -- if not the worst ride -- to ever grace the parks. It was a rickety rollercoaster that both was jerky and spun riders. I love thrill rides, and I’ve never felt more like vomiting than while on that ride, both as a child and an adult. We learned the ride was ultimately torn down due to Disney being unable to land replacement parts, but I say good riddance.  

The other problem with that area is the pricey carnival games. My husband and I actually think it’s really fun to play carnival games, but the setup with tickets isn’t super convenient. Then, I’m also an adult with no children, so when my husband and I play the games we have no interest in keeping the stuffed animals if we win. 

But Disney won’t allow its employees to just give the stuffed animals to another child who is playing the carnival game; therefore, they just go to waste (or we have to find a kid to hand the prize to), and the encounter is always super awkward. We’ve since avoided playing the carnival games. Obviously, this is probably not a problem for every guest, but if the carnival games are expensive and weird for a chunk of people and the vomit-inducing rollercoaster has been dismantled, really the most worthwhile portion of this park is the TriceraTops ride, and your mileage may vary there depending on how old your kids are. 

In short, the area is really due for an overhaul. The good news is that at least something seems to be happening. Following the rollercoaster’s demolition, Inside the Magic reports that some mesh has gone up in the area indicating further work is going on. A permit was also filed for construction in the area, with Evans Services Group being the construction group listed on the works. 

The unfortunate news? Disney World hasn't been particularly open about what may happen to this area of Animal Kingdom and whether or not it will get a new attraction or a complete reworking. For now, we just have the permit and some hope that the theme park will be revamped in a fun and exciting way. 

Animal Kingdom has expanded greatly in recent years. It’s signature Tree of Life and certain OG areas have remained familiar -- including the popular Safari ride. In 2017, Disney World opened Pandora: The World of Avatar, which added a stunning new setting to the park. It's already an exciting park to be in, but with a few more improvements, it could really rival what some of its sister theme parks offer. 

Animal Kingdom is one of those crime shows that often walks the line between very dramatic and often quite humorous. Everyone in the show is emotionally damaged, which can lead to very dramatic moments or some light comedy. The Animal Kingdom characters are also morally ambiguous. They’re technically the “bad guys” but you relate to their motives and struggles. All the main Animal Kingdom characters also have an interesting layer of ruthlessness that runs through to their core.

The entire Cody clan exhibits some ruthless traits and behavior. Some of them are just more ruthless. I ranked the main Animal Kingdom characters and some recurring characters from least to most ruthless. I only selected a few supporting characters who have appeared in at least two seasons and are appearing in Animal Kingdom Season 5.

Warning: this post will contain spoilers about Animal Kingdom Seasons 1 through 5.

9. Renn Randall (Christina Ochoa)

Renn (Christina Ochoa) has been on Animal Kingdom as a recurring character since Season 1. She’s been attached to Craig (Ben Robson) since the beginning of the series. In Animal Kingdom Season 4, she revealed that Craig is likely the father of her child.

Renn and Craig’s initial bond seemed to be their partying ways and love of drugs. Neither are really partying right now but Renn won’t quite leave her drug-dealing past behind her. Minus her selling drugs, we haven’t seen much ruthlessness from Renn. In fact, she’s one of the sweeter girls involved with the Cody boys.

8. Jake (Jon Beavers)

Animal Kingdom has two versions of Jake. The older one is played by Jack Conley and the younger version is played by Jon Beavers. We only really know that the older version is Craig’s father that Smurf (Ellen Barkin) doesn’t want Craig to know about.

Since Animal Kingdom Season 4, the series has been showing young Smurf (Leila George) and her rise to the Smurf we have come to loathe or love. The flashbacks are giving a lot more insight into not only Smurf’s past, but characters like Jake. Young Jake actually seems pretty nice, especially in comparison to Smurf’s other exes like Billy (Denis Leary). However, Jake is part of a gang of thieves and must have at least somewhat of a sketchy past if Smurf never wanted Craig to know that he is his father. We’ll have to wait until the rest of Animal Kingdom Season 5 and 6 play out to discover Jake’s full story.

7. Craig Cody (Ben Robson)

Craig kind of gets brushed off as the “dumb one” of the group. He’s definitely not as clever and conniving as J (Finn Cole) or as dangerous as Pope (Shawn Hatosy), but Craig holds his own. He’s the character that has shown the most growth over the course of the series.

We saw in Animal Kingdom Season 4, Craig tried to take on more of a leadership role in the Cody family. It didn’t go well. However, just him trying to be a leader showed a lot of growth for Craig. The addition of his son Nick may take Craig to more ruthless places to protect the Cody family and his family with Renn. However, Craig hasn’t made too many ruthless choices so far, just a lot of mistakes due to his drug habits and party-boy ways.

6. Frankie (Dichen Lachman)

Frankie (Dichen Lachman) started Animal Kingdom as one thing and morphed into something completely different. In Animal Kingdom Season 4 and 5, Frankie has shown herself to be much more ruthless than she initially seemed. She used Craig like he was her puppet, then she betrayed all the Cody boys by telling Smurf about their secret heist, and now she’s working with J.

Frankie is probably the most sly and ruthless female character we’ve seen in a while. There have been others but they’ve either been more ruthless than sly, or more sly than ruthless. Frankie seems to be the perfect mix at the moment. However, Frankie has still only been on the show for a short while, so she hasn’t reached her true ruthless potential yet.

5. Deran Cody (Jake Weary)

Deran (Jake Weary) is a different kind of ruthless. He doesn’t seem to enjoy the Cody lifestyle as much as the others. In fact, he seems the most burdened by it. However, he’s one of those characters who has it in him to totally lose his mind if given enough time. We also know that he’s willing to do some dark things for his loved ones.

He killed for Adrian (Spencer Treat Clark) and then chose to stay with his brothers after Smurf’s death. Deran constantly kind of spirals. When he spirals, he sometimes hurts others emotionally or physically. With Adrian out of the picture, maybe temporarily, maybe for good, I suspect that Deran’s ruthless side will come out a lot more in Animal Kingdom Season 5 and 6.

4. Andrew “Pope” Cody (Shawn Hatosy)

Pope has always had this dark past that has haunted him. Because of it, he has this reputation as someone not to challenge. However, as Animal Kingdom has progressed, Pope is less of a scary figure and more of a sad one. His life is haunted by bad choices, codependency issues with Smurf, and not getting the proper mental health treatment.

Despite Pope being a very sympathetic character, he still willingly made some ruthless choices. Let us not forget that he killed the woman that he loved, Catherine (Daniella Alonso), because Smurf ordered her murder. This is only one ruthless act that we’ve seen, but we’re sure his past is full of a million more ruthless decisions because of Smurf. We should see more of Pope’s dark past in the remaining Animal Kingdom seasons.

3. Young Janine Smurf (Leila George)

You can see how young Smurf becomes this leader of the Cody clan and empire, but she’s not there yet. That’s why I ranked these two as different characters. Right now, the young smurf seems more reckless than ruthless. However, she has little moments that show her potential to become this ruthless matriarch that runs a crime empire.

Young Smurf is coming off more like J than her older counterpart at the moment. She’s observing, adapting, and acting, but she doesn’t have the skills yet to control everything in the same manner as her future self. We have seen plenty of ruthless behavior--from her bad parenting skills to dumping her boyfriend for his friend to destroying her friend’s chances at a normal life. She’s ruthless, just not older Smurf level ruthless.

2. Joshua “J” Cody (Finn Cole)

J is a character who you aren’t sure if he wants to be part of the Cody family or take them down. He seems to want both. J has never been an innocent character, but he seems to get more ruthless with every passing season. This is understandable as someone who grew up with a drug addict mother and had to basically just survive.

This is also probably why Smurf saw him as a potential apprentice. As of Animal Kingdom Season 5, J seems all business, no pleasure. He killed Smurf without hesitating and killed Mia (Sohvi Rodriguez) with only a little hesitation. J isn’t one to challenge, and I believe he will eventually destroy any and everyone in his quest for ultimate power.

1. Janine “Smurf” Cody (Ellen Barkin)

Smurf may be gone (R.I.P Smurf) but she’s still wreaking havoc for the Cody boys. Even in her death, she’s screwing the family over by making them work instead of letting them retire as happy rich criminals. When Smurf was alive, she was the definition of ruthless. Many of the things that she did were for herself and no one else.

In fact, she emotionally damaged all of her children in some way. She even tried to force Pope to kill her by saying she would kill him. And I have no doubt that Smurf would have killed Pope. She killed many others, including her semi-adopted son Baz (Scott Speedman). Smurf was a very ruthless character, and though J may try to reach her level, I doubt he could hold a candle to Smurf’s wicked ways.

Animal Kingdom Season 5premiered as part of the 2021 summer TV schedule. It will continue through to the 2021 fall TV schedule, likely ending in September or October 2021. Then Animal Kingdom fans have one more season to look forward to, possibly coming in 2022. Catch all the ruthless Animal Kingdom characters every Sunday on TNT.

The time has come. Just under a year has passed since Walt Disney World reopened the gates at The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and it’s taken just shy of a year to start seeing the parks resemble normalcy. Over the past several weeks, theme parks have been a whirlwind of changes to rules and guidelines and now Disney World has followed Universal Orlando’s lead when it comes to another mask-wearing decision.

Last week, both Disney World and Universal Orlando made changes to their respective mask policies. At the time, Disney World had swapped it’s rules so those attending outdoor shows no longer had to mask up. Universal was a bit ahead of the House of Mouse and had already stated that fully vaccinated guests no longer needed to wear masks in the Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure Parks; by last week, Universal was making changes in terms of the rules related to when employees need to be wearing masks.

The latest update from Disney World? Disney World is now dropping the indoor mask mandate for vaccinated guests after having already relaxed on the outdoor masking front. The resort made the announcement ahead of weekend crowds hitting the theme parks. The announcement came with a comment from Disney noting:

Like Universal Orlando, however, Disney World is not requiring proof of vaccination when it comes to visiting the parks. At Universal Orlando, which I visited this past week, some guests are still choosing to wear masks some or all of the time, but anecdotally, most are not.

I think to give credit where credit is due, Universal Orlando has really been leading the charge when it comes to pandemic protocols. This was true a year ago when Universal Orlando reopened before Disney World and it’s still true now as Universal makes calls about changes to protocols such as mask-wearing first. It’s not a shot that Disney has been taking a more conservative approach and it’s worth noting that Orange County, where Disney World is open, only dropped its state of emergency and mask mandate recently. So the recent timing on these changes makes sense for the parks.

Still, for all intents and purposes, mask wearing is no longer a thing for guests in most places in Orange County theme parks. One place where Universal Orlando and Disney World still differ is that Disney World is still requiring masks on public transportation on the property. This includes services such as the monorail, the buses, the Disney Skyliner, etc.

The mask-wearing changes are among a slew of changes that have happened in the Florida-based theme parks in recent months. Temperature checks have also fallen by the wayside, as have certain social distancing guidelines in the parks. At Universal Orlando, one change I kind of miss (but probably saves the theme park a lot of money) is the fact the parks were staffing someone to hand out hand sanitizer in the days when pandemic rates were higher. That’s fallen by the wayside now, as well.

Still, while we are returning to some semblance of normalcy and while park capacity continues going up, some rules won’t be changing immediately. For example, if you are enjoying the parks in California you will probably need to continue wearing masks for a while. At least you have Avengers Campus to look forward to, though.

As recent years have passed, TV viewers have witnessed a staggering growth in the number of original series released on a yearly basis, thanks to new networks and new streaming services eager to deliver unending content in the hopes of drawing new customers. Of course, every series that debuts has to end at some point, and the number of show cancellations and pre-planned endings only seems to grow yearly. Understandably, 2021 is no different, with the pandemic weighing heavily into many TV decisions, with shows such as GLOW and Stumptown learning in 2020 that their previous renewals would go unfulfilled.

Below, we've rounded up all the big shows that learned of their cancellations in 2021, and shows that are ending this year. (There's some overlap in that respect, for shows such as NCIS: New Orleans.) Check out the full list, and fingers cross none of your favorite shows make it on there.

Animal Kingdom (TNT)

In mid-January 2021, a month after its fifth season had finally finished production following COVID-related delays, TNT’s Animal Kingdom was granted a renewal for a sixth and final season to wrap up the Cody family’s crime-filled storylines. As of now, though, the Ellen Barkin-free fifth season has yet to premiere on TNT.

Atypical (Netflix)

Back in February 2020, Netflix granted a fourth and final season renewal to its dramedy Atypical, which focuses on the life of Keir Gilchrist’s on-the-autism-spectrum Sam Gardner. No dates have been announced for Season 4’s premiere, but it's expected to debut in 2021.

Baroness Von Sketch Show (IFC / CBC)

In 2020, it was announced that the award-winning sketch comedy series Baroness Von Sketch Show would be ending with its fifth season, which will kick off once more when the midseason premiere hits IFC on February 25, 2021.

Better Call Saul (AMC)

AMC drama worlds will collide when Better Call Saul airs its sixth and final season at some point in 2021. The final batch of episodes will presumably bookend the events of Breaking Bad both with Saul’s prequelized events and its flash-forward sequences, and will hopefully contain tons of cameos.

Big Hero 6: The Series (Disney XD)

The Marvel and Disney TV spinoff of Big Hero 6 was in the midst of its third season when it was announced the animated action-adventure wouldn’t be continuing beyond Season 3, which ended on February 15, 2021. The news wasn’t entirely surprising, considering Disney+ previously ordered up a Betamax-centric spinoff.

Black Lightning (The CW)

With Cress Williams’ Jefferson Pierce having crossed over into The CW’s main Arrowverse with the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” event, Black Lightning will be saying goodbye to all universes with the conclusion of its currently-airing fourth season.

The Bold Type (Freeform)

Having already lost two Season 4 episodes due to COVID-related shutdowns, Freeform’s female-fronted dramedy The Bold Type was renewed for its fifth and final season on January 21, 2021, with the final six episodes set to air at some point later in the year.

Bosch (Amazon Prime)

Titus Welliver’s crime drama Bosch, based on the character created by Michael Connelly, is Amazon Prime’s longest-running original series, with the renewal for the seventh and final season being ordered in February 2020. It’s currently unknown when Season 7 will air in 2021.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC)

In the months since Season 7 ended, Brooklyn Nine-Nine faced not only COVID delays, but also a push to refresh its approach to policing on television with its eighth season. On February 11, 2021, it was announced that B99 will end with Season 8, which will only deliver ten episodes as opposed to the 13 and 18 episodes from previous years on NBC.

Carmen Sandiego (Netflix)

With Gina Rodriguez voicing the classic video game character, Netflix’s Carmen Sandiego dropped its third season in October 2020 and the day after that release, Netflix announced that its fourth season of high-stakes thievery would be the final one. It was released on January 15, 2021.

Claws (TNT)

Fans have been waiting to see Niecy Nash & Co. returning for the fourth season of Claws ever since August 2019, and knew it would be the final season since October of that year. With the delayed production having been completed in November 2020, Season 4 is set to hit TNT at some point in 2021.

Conan (TBS)

After more than a decade of celebrity interviews, globe-trotting, and silly, experimental comedy on TBS, Conan O’Brien revealed his Conan talk show would be ending with the conclusion of Season 10 in June 2021. Not that his fans should worry about him leaving TV altogether, as the comedian and host signed an overall deal with WarnerMedia for a new show on HBO Max.

Dead To Me (Netflix)

After two seasons of drama-heightening thrills, Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini’s Dead to Me is bringing its grieving to a close with Season 3, as announced by Netflix in July 2020. It’s presumably going to air in 2021, though likely not in the same May release window shared by the first two seasons.

Dear White People (Netflix)

Like a variety of shows listed here, Netflix’s Dear White People was renewed for its final season months before all the production shutdowns throughout 2020 – in October 2019 to be more exact – and fans are waiting to see how Logan Browning’s Samantha White will fare in the final ten episodes when they debut at some point in 2021 (though without former co-star Jeremy Tardy).

DuckTales (Disney XD)

One of the more critically acclaimed TV reboots to come about in recent years, Disney’s DuckTales was in the midst of its third world-building season when the big bosses announced (in December 2020) that the show would be ending with Season 3’s finale, which is set to air on March 15, 2021.

F Is For Family (Netflix)

Rare as it can be for Netflix to go five full seasons with one of its original series, Bill Burr and Michael Price’s raunchy animated series nailed that hallmark when the streaming service announced in October 2020 that the fifth season would be the ‘70s-set family comedy’s last run with the Murphy family. Frank probably had some choice words to say when he heard.

Feel Good (Netflix / Channel 4)

The UK dramedy Feel Good, which co-stars Lisa Kudrow, debuted on Netflix in March 2020, and the streaming service announced in December of the same year that the addiction-based series was renewed for a second season to air in 2021, though it would already be the final one.

Goliath (Amazon Prime)

Just over a month after Billy Bob Thornton’s popular legal drama Goliath premiered its third season, Amazon made the announcement in November 2019 that the show would be ending with its fourth season, which is presumably going to make its all-at-once debut in 2021.

Grace And Frankie (Netflix)

Back in September 2019, a few months before Season 6 debuted, Grace and Frankie was revealed to be coming to an end with a super-sized Season 7, which will see Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin’s titular characters getting feisty for 16 more episodes, rather than the usual 13.

The Haves And Have Nots (OWN)

As OWN’s first scripted series, The Haves and Have Nots debuted back in 2013, and the soapy crime drama is currently set to wrap things up for the Cryer, Harrington, and Young families when the back eight episodes of Season 8 start the fireworks back up again on May 25, 2021.

Insecure (HBO)

Issa Rae’s talent-oozing comedy Insecure was renewed for Season 5 back in May 2020 in the midst of Season 4’s run, but HBO announced on January 13, 2021 that the fifth season will serve as the fictional Issa’s final run of socially poignant episodes, as the real-life Issa continues to build up her cinematic career.

Judge Judy (Syndicated)

Having spent over two decades heading up the syndicated courtroom series Judge Judy, its namesake Judy Sheindlin revealed she was hanging up her gavel after Season 25 ends in 2021, but she’ll be back on TV soon for Amazon’s Judy Justice.

Keeping Up With The Kardashians (E!)

2021 marks the end of a reality TV era, with Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ titular family members (and the Jenners) announcing in September 2020 that the long-running series would be coming to an end with Season 20, set to debut on March 18, 2021. The family is now locked into a deal with Disney and Hulu, so don’t expect them to be gone from your TVs for very long.

The Kominsky Method (Netflix)

The Big Bang Theory co-creator Chuck Lorre made a successful jump to streaming with the Golden Globe-winning The Kominsky Method, which was revealed in July 2020 to be renewed for its third and final season, which will be without star Alan Arkin.

Last Man Standing (Fox)

Tim Allen’s sitcom Last Man Standing made it three seasons on Fox after its prior cancellation at ABC, and it was revealed in October 2020 that the previously ordered Season 9 would be the show’s last run. The 21-episode season debuted on January 3, 2021, and thankfully gave fans a big Home Improvement crossover before bowing out completely.

Lost In Space (Netflix)

Netflix’s big-budget Lost in Space made its share of fans during the first two seasons, but the lack of major buzz likely influenced the streaming service’s decision in March 2020 to renew the sci-fi series for a third and final season. It’s not yet clear when Lost in Space Season 3 will debut in 2021.

Lou Dobbs Tonight (Fox Business)

The political and financial chat show Lou Dobbs Tonight was on the verge of making it a full ten years on Fox Business Network, but after Dobbs was named as part of a defamation lawsuit against Fox News by the voting machine vendor Smartmatic, Fox Business cancelled the show on February 5, 2021.

Lucifer (Netflix)

Having already come to an “end” on Fox in 2018, Lucifer lived on at Netflix, where it was initially cancelled after Season 5, but Netflix not only added episodes to the fifth season order, but the streaming service later reneged on its decision and ordered up a sixth and final season of episodes in June 2020. While the second half of Season 5 has yet to air, it’s possible the final ten episodes will debut on Netflix in late 2021.

Mom (CBS)

Not very long before Mom's production was scheduled to begin after prior delays, star Anna Faris suddenly announced in September that she was leaving the show, and even though Season 8 has been doing fine in the ratings, CBS announced prior to the eighth episode that the show was cancelled and would be ending with the current batch of episodes.

Money Heist (Netflix)

Also known as La casa de papel, Netflix’s intense Spanish crime drama Money Heist has been one of the most successful non-English series in the streaming service’s library, so you can bet a ton of viewers will be tuning in for the fifth and final batch of episodes, which Netflix ordered in July 2020. No premiere date for 2021 has been set yet.

NCIS: New Orleans (CBS)

With its latest season taking a dip in the ratings compared to previous years, NCIS: New Orleans will be coming to an end with its shortened seventh season, shocking many fans who have come to expect the NCIS franchise to continue sticking around. Interestingly enough, it was revealed the day before the cancellation news broke that CBS is looking to develop the new spinoff NCIS: Hawaii.

On My Block (Netflix)

Netflix’s teen dramedy On My Block earned much critical and fan acclaim over the course of its first three seasons, so it was something of a blessing and a crime when Netflix finally announced on January 29, 2021 that the series was renewed for its fourth and final season. It’s not clear when it’ll air, but at least Netflix gave On My Block ten episodes to bow out on instead of the eight that made up Season 3.

Ozark (Netflix)

Jason Bateman’s work in front of and behind the camera have played a big role in Ozark’s success on Netflix, and while some might have expected it to go on for many more years, the streaming service announced in June 2020 that the money-laundering crime drama will close out with its fourth season, which will be divided into two seven-episode halves. At least the first half is expected to air in 2021.

Peaky Blinders (Netflix / BBC)

Another high-profile series whose final season was impacted by COVID-related delays, Peaky Blinders last delivered new episodes in August 2019, and it was revealed on January 18 that the in-production Season 6 will give viewers the star-studded gangster drama’s final six installments. Creator Steven Knight is already teasing a follow-up project, also.

Shameless (Showtime)

The longest-running scripted series in Showtime’s history, Shameless made it through a full season without exiting star Emmy Rossum before the channel announced in January 2020 that the offbeat family drama was renewed for its eleventh and final season. After going through production delays that altered the final season, Shameless debuted Season 11 in December 2020, and it will wrap at some point in early 2021.

Shrill (Hulu)

Fans of SNL’s Aidy Bryant and her Hulu series Shrill were pumped when the streaming service announced in March 2020 that the comedy would be returning for an eight-episode third season, but things took a more disappointing turn on January 27, 2021, when it was announced that the upcoming Season 3 will be Shrill’s last. It’s set to debut on May 7, 2021.

Supergirl (The CW)

The CW renewed Supergirl for a sixth season back in January 2020, but nine months later, made the call that the 20-episode Season 6 would be the Arrowverse drama’s final one. It’s still unclear when Supergirl will return for those episodes, but there’s the additional hope that Melissa Benoist’s superhero will appear in the new spinoff Superman & Lois.

Superstore (NBC)

One of the relatively rare network sitcoms to survive without a focus on traditional family life, Superstore delighted audiences for years with its big-box family, but NBC announced over the loudspeakers in December 2020 that Superstore would be ending with its currently airing sixth season, which is set to air its finale on March 25, 2021.

Truth Seekers (Amazon Prime)

Co-created by the comedy duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (among others), Truth Seekers was a fright-filled comedy about paranormal investigators and spooky conspiracies that apparently didn’t quite win over enough living and breathing viewers to convince Amazon to order up a second season. Frost announced on February 11, 2021 that the show was cancelled.

Van Helsing (Syfy)

From the wacky-concept mind of creator Neil LaBute, Van Helsing and its titular heroine played by Kelly Overton have been hunting down vampires and other monstrous being for four seasons, but Syfy revealed in December 2019 that the fantasy horror would be returning for a fifth and final season, though it has yet to debut.

Wynonna Earp (Syfy)

Much like Van Helsing, Syfy’s Wynonna Earp’s survival is largely due to a relatively small but extremely passionate group of fans who have been patiently waiting through financial and then COVID-related delays to see the entirety of Season 4, which was ordered back in July 2018. The first six episodes finally aired in Summer 2020, and Syfy announced on February 5, 2021 that the show was cancelled, with the final six episodes debuting on March 5, 2021.

Year Of The Rabbit (IFC / Channel 4)

Perhaps the most visually and narratively distinct entry on this list, the UK’s Year of the Rabbit was a Victorian-era detective comedy headed up by the hilarious Matt Berry, and though Channel 4 renewed the show for a second season in February 2020, the network announced a reversal of that decision on January 21, 2021, citing COVID-related budget issues. It’s possible another network or streaming service will step up to help with production costs.

Younger (TV Land)

Back in July 2019, TV Land renewed Younger for its seventh season, making it the longest-running original program in the network’s history. Filming only finished on those episodes in early 2021, due to COVID-related delays, and while it hasn’t been made 100% official by TV Land, star Debi Mazar reveled in February 2021 that she’d filmed her final scenes on the show, sparking beliefs that Season 7 is indeed the end.

Since we're still in the early days of 2021, audiences should have few doubts that this already sizable list of shows will grow even longer, so remember to keep checking back for updates as more big shows fall onto, and off of, the chopping block.

Disney World has long been touted as the Happiest Place on Earth and even during a pandemic, the House of Mouse is trying to keep up the magic. This has meant the addition of a lot of new safety precautions and changes in theme parks like the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Following the addition of those changes, Disney World is once again open and some people in Florida and elsewhere have traversed down to experience Dole Whip, Splash Mountain and other memorable attractions in 2020.

Prior to pandemic rates really ramping up again, my husband and I were among those who decided to check out the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios parks at Disney World to hopefully give you some insight on what’s changed and what hasn’t and help you to make an informed decision about whether or not to make your own future plans. There are pros and cons galore, so grab your Mickey ears and we’ll talk them out.

Getting To The Magic Kingdom And Other Disney Parks Early

Are you normally a person who is up and working out at a gym before park hours even start at Disney World? Are you a family who likes to make a breakfast reservation and then hop on a ride at Magic Kingdom right away? Getting to the parks early is one of the things that has changed as Walt Disney World has swapped around its hours in the parks.

For the holidays, Disney has extended its hours a little bit, but if you shift forward into 2021 and January hours, a lot of the parks will not be opening until 11 a.m. or 12 p.m. ET again. So, if you are an early riser, you will probably be looking at a different plan than you might normally go for at Disney World.

Pros: Sleeping in on a Disney vacation has literally never been easier. Getting to the parks on the early side is still an option--it’s just later in the day than it used to be, which honestly means a much more relaxed morning. More parkgoers are on an even playing field, as ride wait times don’t shift as significantly throughout the day. One major pro to getting to the park early in 2020, in my opinion, was simply that Disney is letting people wander through the parks so that people remained socially distant even before the attractions officially opened. This was exceptionally fun and way better than having to huddle up in a mass and push forward toward an attraction right as the parks were opening. I really hope this is the wave of the future for Walt Disney World. Sure, I missed the magic of the birds taking flight as Animal Kingdom opened, but wandering around was so much nicer and made it feel as if I was on my own schedule and not Disney’s.

Cons: Getting to the parks early used to mean an hour or so of riding multiple attractions before the lines really started filling up. Or, if we are talking about busy rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Avatar: Flight of the Passage, you’d at least have a lower wait if you hopped in line first thing. Given social distancing and fewer people being allowed on rides at a time, plus the fact the parks are often opening later in the day, the ride lines do fill up quickly and stay filled.

Character Experiences: Disney Princesses, Mickey, Pooh And More

Character experiences are one of the major park attractions that have drastically changed in the era of social distancing. The good news? There are still plenty of ways for kids to interact with characters, but if you are regular Disney parkgoers, the changes are going to be noticeable for you and your kids. Here's a look at what to expect as certain areas that used to feature characters are shut down and other changes have been made to keep people from crowding together.

Cons: In this case, I’d like to talk about the cons first because they are glaring. First and foremost, those intimate magical moments with your kids and a character just aren’t there due to Disney doing everything it can to social distance, which means most character experiences have been shut down. It’s a little gut-wrenching to walk past the princess tent over by the Aladdin ride in the Magic Kingdom and see it sitting empty, waiting for magic again. The other obvious con is that with fewer character experiences and attractions outside of the rides, ride lines are lengthier. There’s simply less to do.

Pros: Still, the character experiences that do happen are well thought out and in some ways I felt like what is happening now has been a nice change of pace, particularly for those who only casually care about character experiences. For example, instead of taking close-contact photos, Pooh interacted with young guests from a distant location on a lawn at Epcot while I was there. Other characters floated by on parade floats at unexpected intervals rather than at scheduled times in various parks. This led to less congestion and made the parks a lot easier to navigate. As someone who doesn’t love a long parade (I know we don’t all agree on this), I wish that component would stay. Finally, character dining has stopped in many locations; however, Chef Mickey’s did recently add character dining back, so there’s hope character dining will continue to expand in the future.

Walt Disney World Transportation: Disney Public Transportation Vs. You Personal Car

Disney has plenty of options for transportation, both in terms of people being able to drive themselves to the parks and park for FREE right now if they are staying at a Disney resort. In your car your family gets a bit of a reprieve from the masks, while masks are required when you are taking Disney public transportation, just like in the parks. Social distancing is also a big deal. On the boats, circles were marked off on the ground to show people where to stand. Buses are no longer as crowded as they have been in the past either. Lots of accommodations are being made to make sure people can move around safely.

Because transport is going to be more dependent on what you have available, so in this case I didn't go deep into the pros and cons, but simply focused on the various options.

Buses, Boats And More: There are still plenty of ways to transport yourself around Disney parks, including buses, boats, ride shares, the Skyliner and the famous Monorail. All of that transportation is still in use during this time, though there are some changes. Capacity has been reduced on buses as one example and when I rode, only one party was allowed in a Skyliner gondola at a time, for another example. If you are using the Disney transportation from park to park, due to social distancing measures there can be waits, though the longest my husband and I waited was for a boat, which is a typical Disney World experience, even pre-pandemic. The Magic Kingdom railroad to get around that park has been shut down through 2020 as the Tron rollercoaster continues construction, as well.

Car: If you have a car on property, Disney is also currently offering free parking at the parks if you are staying in a Walt Disney World resort. My husband and I took advantage of both types of transportation and the car route was super easy. We just had to show we had a park reservation at the gate (masks on here!) when we pulled up and we waltzed right in with our vehicle, using our Magic Bands for entry. The process was swift, though it did mean a walk from our parking space into each park. So, if you like a quick and convenient drop off near the park entrance, the regular transportation offered by the parks is still hard to beat.

How Ride Lines Work With Social Distancing At Walt Disney World

Ride lines are always long at Disney World and if you thought limited capacity would rectify this, well, you’d be wrong. Currently, parks like The Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios are only at 35% capacity; however, there are a few reasons that line length is still long. The first is, there are simply fewer activities outside of rides available than usual. The second issue is that a significant number of rides cannot fill up to capacity as social distancing is in place. However, Disney has taken many measures to keep lines moving and also keep people apart. For more detailed specifics, here's CinemaBlend's full guide for how ride lines work right now.

Pros: Honestly, in general the way Disney has worked magic to keep people separated in lines is pretty amazing. Spaces are taped off in ride lines in order to make sure that people won’t be breathing on each other, even if there is a halt in movement and even with a queue format that twists and turns. Where space is tight, such as in the Thunder Mountain Railroad queue, plastic barriers have been put up to separate people in line. Ride lines extend outside and through other additional attraction spaces to keep people both moving and separated as well.

Cons: Unlike Universal Studios, there are no virtual cues being offered. Currently due to the lines needing to be much longer and socially distanced than usual, there are no Fastpasses either. One other issue did crop up with the marked spaces on the ground. Sometimes people were not thoughtful about stopping every six feet on the markers or were part of a larger party and it just wasn’t possible. When that happened, the fix was fairly easy, though, and my husband and I just hung back an extra space.

Disney Dining: Character Dining, Epcot, And Sitdown Dining During 2020

Disney Dining is one of the most delightful parts of the Walt Disney World experience and Disney Dining is still in full force at both Downtown Disney and Disney World parks and resort locations. Reservations are still required at some nicer restaurants and Walt Disney World cast members at the restaurants have on both masks and shields if you choose those options. Outdoor dining was available where there has always been outdoor seating, though some restaurants have always only had indoor seating available.

Counter service is alive and thriving, as well, and Disney has put a lot of effort into its app when it comes to ordering food in advance. While before you might wait in a lengthy line, the My Disney Experience app gives families options to just input a food order from a socially distant place and then pick it up where the “Mobile Order Pickup Sign” is located at each food joint. More on that here.

To touch on Epcot specifically, that park also still had food and drinks “around the world” available and had also added additional tables so that people could physically stop with a food or drink item and relax in a socially distant manner. You cannot eat or drink while walking, which does hinder some of the delights of Epcot somewhat, but by adjusting some behavior and staying stationary, Epcot is still 80% as exciting as it normally is. I did particularly enjoy the fact there were more places for people to physically put food on tables so they didn’t have to hold a drink and food while walking as well.

Pros: Since parks are at limited capacity, it was fairly easy to make reservations at some of our favorite spots in advance of our stay. We were able to sit outside on the balcony at Jose Andres’ restaurant Jaleo at Disney Springs with a reservation and at the 3 Bridges Bar and Grill at Coronado Springs Resort, which was all outdoor seating and did not require a reservation. There also happened to be great weather and ample outdoor seating at BaseLine Taphouse, if you’re looking to imbibe in Hollywood Studios. We didn’t use the mobile app ordering because there weren’t really lines at the counter service places we grabbed food, but having that option was a nice touch. We also really liked having additional places to stop and eat at Epcot, as listed prior.

Cons: First and foremost, your mileage with dining may vary with reservations if you aren’t wanting to sit inside. Some restaurants we have enjoyed in the past are also closed right now as the parks are not at anywhere near full capacity. Some of these may be among your favorites. The Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom, for example, was closed when we visited, though that eatery recently reopened. Of course, you can’t walk around and eat or drink. This means you can’t eat and drink while waiting in line for a ride--since Disney is trying to keep people as socially distant and as fully masked as possible in ride lines. It also means you can’t drink your Starbucks while wandering into shops or grab a beer while walking around the Countries of the World in Epcot. Some minor adjustments to your usual Disney behavior are required, but it’s worth it.

Getting To The Parks Later: Tower of Terror, Pandora And More

Earlier I mentioned how getting to the parks earlier used to be a great way to gain some more bang for your buck. That used to also be true of nighttime hours at the parks. If you were there super late you might be able to hop on some rides much more quickly, though it’s worth pointing out that in-demand rides have always had long lines from start of day to finish.

Getting into the holiday season, Disney has extended hours, so choosing to pop into the parks in the middle of the day or later can be a relaxing option.

Pros: Given the limited hours, a lot of people plan to get to the parks early and spend the morning there are sometimes cutting out and doing other things as the day wears on. This meant that at some parks, ride lines tapered off the later we were there. (Though Pandora and rides including Tower of Terror, etc. are still popular options at night when the hours are available in those parks. Epcot is also still popular at night.) One con of getting to the parks early was that social distancing was a little harder as people waited in winding lines for park admittance. Showing up later meant there were none of those issues. Plus, parkgoers get to experience fun nighttime perks like glow-in-the-dark drinks and settings. Some areas, such as the lit up areas in Pandora, are simply way cooler later in the day than earlier.

Cons: Obviously, with limited capacity, the parks also aren’t open as late as they have been during past summers or previous holidays. So, even if you plan for a late start, factor in that Animal Kingdom park closes a lot of nights at 5 p.m. rather than later in the evening. Some recalculation and planning will need to be involved if you normally are a nighttime parkgoer. In fact, late, late nights in the parks aren’t really an option right now. In addition, some nighttime activities that are crowded -- like the fireworks displays -- have stopped happening or have changed drastically. Fireworks right now are sporadic and are being “tested” rather than being the full “Happily Ever After Show” parkgoers at the Magic Kingdom are used to, for example.

Overall, if you are reading this, you may have already decided to try out to the parks or possibly skip all of this until social distancing is a thing of the past. Regardless, of your current or postponed plans to Walt Disney World, I hope this gives you some clarity regarding what to expect from the Florida parks at this time, as well as what has changed over the past 10 months or so.

I still have to ask though: Do you think you’ll visit Disney World during the pandemic?

This poll is no longer available.

Yellowstone is undoubtedly one of the most popular shows you can currently watch on television, and it’s been that way for quite some time. But with the future of the series up in the air, and a release date for the second half of the show’s fifth season not yet announced, longtime Dutton fans have a Montana-sized hole in their hearts just waiting to be filled.

We can’t make new episodes of Taylor Sheridan’s popular drama series miraculously appear, but we can offer more than a dozen TV shows and movies that will help you scratch that itch.  

1883 (2021 - 2022) 

Set nearly a century-and-a-half prior to the events of Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount+ original series, 1883 traces the steps of the Dutton family as they leave behind life in post-Civil War Tennessee for a new, and potentially better, life in the American West.

The series stars real-life power couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as James and Margaret Dutton, respectively, with a large focus on Elsa Dutton (Isabel May), their fearless teenage daughter who is changed by the experience. Viewers who are fans of the strong characters who make up the Yellowstone cast will feel right at home with those in this hard-hitting prequel series.

Stream 1883 on Paramount+.
Buy 1883 on Amazon.

1923 (2022 - Present) 

With a second season in the works, now is the perfect time to check out 1923, the second Yellowstone prequel series. Set roughly a century prior to the events of the original series, Taylor Sheridan’s historical drama series primarily focuses on Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren), the older brother and sister-in-law, respectively, of James Dutton from 1883.

Though the series takes place several generations before John Dutton III’s (Kevin Costner) time as the head of the Yellowstone ranch, the series features a lot of the same themes, struggles, and imagery of the main show. You’ll feel right at home.

Stream 1923 on Paramount+.
Buy 1923 on Amazon.

Mayor Of Kingstown (2021 - Present)

If you’re all caught up with Yellowstone and its two prequel series but still want more of what Taylor Sheridan has to offer, then you have to check out Mayor of Kingstown. Set hundreds of miles away from the Yellowstone ranch, the Paramount+ original series follows the McLusky family as they attempt to hold onto power and keep order in a town where the main industry is the local prison.

Primarily written by Sheridan, the show very much fits in his wheelhouse, as it touches on power, corruption, family, crime, and feels like a modern-day Western in a sense. 

Stream Mayor of Kingstown on Paramount+.
Buy Mayor of Kingstown on Amazon.

Hell Or High Water (2016)

Before turning his attention to the small screen with Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan crafted one of the best neo-Westerns in recent memory with Hell or High Water, a movie that was more than deserving of its Oscar nomination. This emotional and thrilling tale follows brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner Howard (Ben Foster) as they pull off a series of bank robberies to save their family ranch from foreclosure, a plan that’s going well until a soon-to-be-retired Texas Ranger (Jeff Bridges) picks up their trail.

This is one of those movies, like Yellowstone, where the concept of absolute right and wrong doesn’t exist, instead the world is populated with people doing what they think is the right thing for their current situation. Family, crime, and thumbing your nose at society and powers that be are themes present in both.

Rent/buy Hell or High Water on Amazon.

Wind River (2017)

Set in the same general area as Yellowstone, the 2017 crime thriller Wind River is one of the more intense movies you’ll see today. This extremely violent and incredibly tense drama follows U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Agent Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) and FBI Special Agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) as they attempt to solve the murder of an 18-year-old woman whose frozen body was found on a Wyoming Indian Reservation.

Without giving too much away, there’s a scene near the end of the movie that will leave you biting your nails down to the quick and will probably stick with you for some time.

Stream Wind River on Freevee. 

Succession (2018 - 2023)

The HBO drama series Succession centers around the personal and professional battles of the ultra-wealthy and dysfunctional Roy family as the patriarch, Logan Roy (Brian Cox) struggles with the decision to break up his large media empire, Waystar Royco, and divide it among his children.

The setup of the family that's trying to work through their differences in a struggle to take control of the family business should be something that fans of Yellowstone will find familiar, but don't come in expecting horses and wide-open vistas in the American West, as the Golden Globe-winning Succession is set in the jungle of New York City and its surrounding affluent suburbs. And now that the critically-acclaimed series has concluded its four-season run, there’s never been a better time to binge it in full.

Stream Succession on Max.
Buy Succession on Amazon.

Waco (2018)

Before Yellowstone, the Paramount Network's first foray into original content was the limited series Waco, which took a detailed look at David Koresh's (Taylor Kitsch) Branch Davidian compound and the 1993 siege by the United States government that resulted in the deaths of 82 members of the religious sect and four federal agents.

The show can be a little much at times, especially the "I Still Believe" concert in the middle of the 51-day conflict, but the stellar cast and superb writing team provide for some truly haunting and unsettling moments. In addition to showing multiple sides of the story in order to show the big picture, the 2018 series is similar to Yellowstone in the sense that it causes the viewer to think about the battle between private citizens and government bodies that don't accept their way of life.

Stream Waco on Paramount+.
Buy Waco on Amazon. 

Deadwood (2004 - 2006)

Set in a small town that serves as one of the last truly free places in the American West in the late 19th Century, the HBO series (and 2019 followup movie) Deadwood explores the prospectors, outlaws, and lawmen who are trying to make a life for themselves and possibly even escape their troubled pasts.

Filled with beautiful scenery and less than idyllic characters with varying levels of civility, the iconic series is more of a character study than anything else, which is a good option for fans of Yellowstone. Sure, it has more cussing, graphic violence, and questionable subject matter than the Paramount series, but it does have a firm grasp on what makes people do the things they do in order to continue living their lives the way they see fit.

Stream Deadwood on Max.
Buy Deadwood on Amazon. 

Dances With Wolves (1990)

Kevin Costner's 1990 epic Dances with Wolves follows a soldier who develops a strong bond with a group of Lakota Indians in the American West during the middle of the Civil War. Costner's Lieutenant Dunbar makes a free and peaceful life for himself as he becomes a member of the tribe, but his fortune changes when the United States Army marches into the territory with plans to make the land their own.

The movie is a must-watch for anyone who remotely likes Yellowstone and it's not just because Costner rides horses and shoots guns but instead because both take an in-depth look at what it means to be free and what someone will do to protect land that holds more than just monetary value.

Rent/Buy Dances with Wolves on Prime Video.

Sons Of Anarchy (2008 - 2014)

The FX neo-western Sons of Anarchy follows the SAMCRO biker gang as its members navigate life as modern-day outlaws in the small town of Charming, California. Through battles with rival biker gangs, local law enforcement, and more times than not, themselves, the club lives and learns but sometimes the lessons come far too late.

Fans of the outlaw element of Yellowstone will be right at home with Sons of Anarchy (if they're not already) and will appreciate the groundwork Kurt Sutter's landmark crime drama laid for shows that followed. Also, Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan stars as Deputy Chief David Hale in the show's first three seasons.

Stream Sons of Anarchy on Hulu.
Buy Sons of Anarchy on Amazon. 

No Country For Old Men (2007)

There is no better example of modern-day western available to stream right now than The Coen Brothers' 2007 classic No Country For Old Men. Based on Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel of the same name, the movie follows the unfortunate Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) who stumbles across a drug deal gone bad in the Texas desert where he locates a suitcase full of money. What follows is an unnerving cat-and-mouse chase with the ice-cold hitman Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem).

And much like Yellowstone, the Academy Award-winning movie is a mood piece above everything else and makes you feel like you are right behind the action to the point where you can taste the gun smoke in the air.

Stream No Country for Old Men on Paramount+.
Stream No Country for Old Men on Prime Video. 

Justified (2010 - 2015)

When Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) is reassigned to the field office in Lexington, Kentucky, he is just a stone's throw from his old stomping grounds as a youth. Givens' familiarity with the area, and its colorful and less-than-peaceful inhabitants, proves to be both a blessing and curse for the quick-firing lawman. To say that Timothy Olyphant gives a gritty performance in the FX show based off the Elmore Leonard line of books would be cutting the actor, and character, short.

Much like in Yellowstone, this crime thriller is full of characters who don't subscribe to the concept of absolute good and evil and instead live in that gray in-between where anything and everything can happen.

Stream Justified on Hulu.
Buy Justified on Amazon. 

There Will Be Blood (2007)

One of the best movies of the 2000s, Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood centers around a cutthroat and unstable oil tycoon after he locates an ocean of oil underneath land belonging to a poor family led by a hapless father and religious zealot son. What follows is Daniel Plainview's (Daniel Day-Lewis) years-long crusade to become the richest man not in the county but in the state of California, no matter what or who gets in his way.

Although Daniel Plainview is a far cry from the somewhat decent John Dutton (Kevin Costner) in Yellowstone, he buys into the same mindset that it is up to him to protect everything he has from others, whether they be those who have a right to the land, businesses that want to take his land, and those who try to get in his way.

Stream There Will Be Blood on Paramount+.
Rent/buy There Will Be Blood on Amazon. 

Animal Kingdom (2016 - 2022)

The TNT series Animal Kingdom centers around 17-year-old Joshua Cody (Finn Cole) as he tries to find a place with his extended family members who operate a small criminal operation out of their Southern California beach town. Joshua is thrown into a world he never knew before, one of crime, drugs, and excess beyond his imagination.

Despite the life of crime that the Cody family leads throughout the series, there is a lot of love (though not always traditional) shared between the family members as they try to protect those that they love and their interests from the prying eyes of the outside world, which sounds a lot like the Dutton family in Yellowstone. Also, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a copy of the original Animal Kingdom movie on which the series is based.

Stream Animal Kingdom on Prime Video.

Billions (2016 - 2023)

And then there is the Showtime original series Billions which takes an in-depth look at the world of finance and white-collar crimes that are often committed by those at the top of large hedge funds and other operations on Wall Street. Anchored by two powerful leads, Paul Giamatti as U.S. Attorney Charles Rhoades and hedge fund manager Robert Axelrod, portrayed by Damian Lewis, the show doesn't pull any punches in its examination of the ultra-wealthy and their methods of handling business.

Fans of the light espionage and back-channel deals of Yellowstone will certainly love Billions, but only if they don't mind trading horses and open ranges in for private cars and congested New York City streets. It might be an adjustment, but both shows know how to hold your attention and bring a lot of drama.

Stream Billions on Paramount+
Stream Billions on Prime Video.

This is just scratching the surface of shows and movies that fans of Yellowstone will enjoy. And while we don’t yet know exactly when the second half of Yellowstone Season 5 will premiere on the 2024 TV schedule, these stories will certainly make the waiting process a whole lot easier. 

There were mixed reactions when Disney announced it would reopen its parks following historic closures due to COVID-19. While some fans were eager to embrace the parks’ new safety rules and get back to the Happiest Place on Earth, others were concerned that they were opening too soon. Now, we know how many fans actually showed up to Disney World and Animal Kingdom the day the parks reopened, and it could be telling about what the next few months there will look like.

All told, approximately 16,000 people gained entry to Disney World and Animal Kingdom on July 11, 2020, per USA Today. That number is considerably less than what the parks would see in a normal day -- and it was clear that the new ‘normal’ at Disney will be a bit of an adjustment for park goers.

Disney World has instituted strict guidelines to attempt to minimize the spread of COVID-19. That means, among other things, that all attendees are required to have their temperatures taken prior to entry and to practice physical distancing and wear masks while inside the park. Disney World cast members (employees) are also required to follow these guidelines, and many of them wore face shields as well. There are also stations with hand sanitizer available outside each attraction. And, just in case fans didn’t realize just how different things are, there are also copious signs posted throughout the park that reinforce these rules.

The park has also changed the way it will be issuing tickets and resort reservations for the foreseeable future. An online system now requires guests to purchase tickets in advance, which will make it easier for the parks to operate at reduced capacity while COVID-19 is still a threat.

Despite concerns from some about safety, those who did attend the park’s reopening noted that there are some upsides to the changes the park has implemented. While the lines themselves will be longer, since everyone is spaced out, parkgoers reported shorter wait times -- or, in some cases, no wait times at all -- on opening day.

Disney World isn’t the first Disney park to reopen -- in places like Shanghai, Disneyland has been open since May. While Disneyland’s park openings are still up in the air, both Downtown Disney and resorts there have already begun to accommodate crowds of fans. However, all eyes were on Disney World and Animal Kingdom, in particular, because Florida has recently seen a spike in COVID-19 cases. and some are wondering whether the parks’ reopening could increase the spread even more.

It remains to be seen whether business as (sort-of) usual will resume long term at Disney World and Animal Kingdom. As of right now, the company plans to reopen Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studios on July 15.

Like many of you, Sons of Anarchy was one of my favorite shows at one point. I would watch it every week with either my dad or a group of buddies and we'd discuss everything that went down and what we thought would happen the following week. And oftentimes, we'd try to find other shows and movies that we thought compared to the FX crime drama.

Now, all these years later, I have found myself doing that very thing — finding shows and movies that share characteristics with the story of SAMCRO. Surprise, surprise, there are a lot of movies and shows out there that either inspired the series or took inspiration from it over the years. So I've put together a list of films and series you can watch if you are a diehard fan of Sons of Anarchy who needs a break from watching the show for the millionth time.

Mayans M.C. (2018 - Present)

Set in the same universe as Sons of Anarchy, the FX crime series Mayans M.C. follows the exploits of the Mayans Motorcycle Club, one of SAMCRO's fiercest rivals-turned-allies.

Why It's A Good Option for Sons of Anarchy Fans: SOA fans looking to stick around the world of the successful series will be right at home with Mayans M.C., because not only do several characters from the original series make appearances here, the show continues the legacy of Kurt Sutter's biker series with plenty of family drama, intense action, and plenty of badass motorcycle scenes.

Stream it on Hulu here.

The Shield (2002 - 2008)

Before Kurt Sutter went on to create Sons of Anarchy, the television writer/producer helped get The Shield off the ground. Centered around an elite group of mix-matched LAPD detectives , the show was known for his bleak view of police corruption and loads and loads of violence.

Why It's A Good Option for Sons of Anarchy Fans: When The Shield, which was considered one of the grittiest shows on television at the time of is 2002 debut, helped lay the groundwork for much of what viewers came to love in Sons of Anarchy. And with many of the actors from SOA appearing on the police thriller, you can have a great time finding them all.

Stream it on Hulu here.

Hell Or High Water (2016)

Written by Taylor Sheridan (Deputy Chief David Hale on Sons of Anarchy), the 2016 modern-day western Hell or High Water follows brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner Howard (Ben Foster) as they go out and commit a series of bank heists to pay off a large debt. Little do they know but Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) is hot on their trail.

Why It's A Good Option for Sons of Anarchy Fans: Much like on Sons of Anarchy, Hell or High Water provides dynamic and fleshed-out characters that go beyond good and evil. And much like the FX series in which the film's screenwriter starred, the movie is heartfelt, engaging, and extremely violent. Also, SOA fans who became drawn in by handsome outlaws hearts of gold will be right at home in this Academy Award-nominated picture.

Stream it on Netflix here.

The Sopranos (1999 - 2007)

The HBO classic crime epic The Sopranos examines New Jersey Mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) as he tries to find his place as the leader of a crime organization as well as in his very own family. Over the course of six seasons, this groundbreaking series became one of the most well-regarded shows of all time.

Why It's A Good Option for Sons of Anarchy Fans: When talking about shows like the ones we're discussing here, there are, no doubt, some fans who enjoy both series. However, there are probably some out there who missed the boat with The Sopranos ending its run more than a year before Sons of Anarchy rolled into the picture. For those fans I say watch this HBO series immediately. It has the humor, violence, and familial drama found in everyone's favorite biker show and then some.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Brotherhood (2006 - 2008)

Set in Providence, Rhode Island, the Showtime series Brotherhood centers around two Irish brothers on opposite sides of the law played by Jason Isaacs and Jason Clarke as they both fight survival in the hardened neighborhood in which they were raised.

Why It's A Good Option for Sons of Anarchy Fans: Fans of Sons of Anarchy's Season 3 diversion to Belfast, Ireland, will enjoy the familiar sounds of Irish accents and longtime criminals in Brotherhood. Add in a touch of the family members finding themselves at odds with one another with Annabeth Gish (Sheriff Althea Jarry from SOA Season 7), and you have yourself a perfect combination for any fans looking for a quick three-season show to binge.

Stream it on Hulu here.

Triple Frontier (2019)

The incredibly stacked Netflix original action film Triple Frontier centers around a group of former soldiers from the elite U.S. Army Delta Force who get back together and try to pull off an incredible heist in the jungles of South America.

Why It's A Good Option for Sons of Anarchy Fans: For starters, Jax Teller himself, Charlie Hunnam appears as William "Ironhead" Miller one of the former soldiers-turned-thieves who attempts to pull off the nearly impossible heist. And then you have the whole tried-and-true concept of a plan going horribly wrong, just like pretty much every plan in Sons of Anarchy. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have some of the most intense action sequences featuring the likes of Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, and Pedro Pascal featured heavily throughout.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Animal Kingdom (2016 - Present)

Based on the critically-acclaimed Australian drama of the same name, the 2016 TNT series Animal Kingdom follows Joshua "J" Cody (Finn Cole) as he tries to find his place with a group of his crime-ridden surf-obsessed family members following the death of his mother.

Why It's A Good Option for Sons of Anarchy Fans: Like Sons of Anarchy before it, Animal Kingdom explores what it's like to be a part of a family so entrenched in crime, seedy operations, and violence, as well as the effect it has on someone who didn't grow up in that lifestyle. With a large ensemble cast and some fairly shocking twists and turns, this series is right up there with SOA.

Stream it on Amazon here.

Peaky Blinders (2013 - Present)

Set just after the events of the First World War, the BBC period crime series Peaky Blinders is one of the most talked about shows on television, and it's not just because of the characters' signature style and sharp haircuts. With a cast that includes Cillian Murphy, Sam Neil, Tom Hardy, Finn Cole, and loads of other famed actors and actresses, this exploration of the formation of the Peaky Blinders urban street gang is one of the best of its era.

Why It's A Good Option for Sons of Anarchy Fans: At the very center of it, Peaky Blinders is anchored by its lead actor Cillian Murphy in his portrayal of Thomas Shelby. Much like Charlie Hunnam during his time on Sons of Anarchy, Murphy steals every single one of his scenes with his magnetic charisma, unique style, and propensity for explosive bursts of violence. On top of that, you have the inner-politics of the Peaky Blinders gang as well as how its seen by the outside world, much like SAMCRO.

Stream it on Netflix here.

The Highwaymen (2019)

The story of Bonnie and Clyde is one of the most well-known tales about American outlaws from the 20th Century, and the 2019 Netflix original movie The Highwaymen explores the other side of the fight that ended the couple's reign of terror in the 1930s. Starring Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson as two former Texas Rangers on the hunt for the couple, the movie recounts the investigation that ended bloody shootout in Louisiana.

Why It's A Good Option for Sons of Anarchy Fans: Fans of Sons of Anarchy who enjoyed the show's back-and-forth between the criminals and law enforcement will feel right at home with this retelling of the bloody piece of American History. With outlaws, lawmen, shaky relationships, and plenty of deception, The Highwaymen explores the very foundation of the outlaws and the men who cut them down that would go on to inspire films and television series like SOA.

Stream it on Netflix here.

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966)

Considered one of the most important films of all time, Sergio Leone's 1966 classic The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is what most people picture when they think of the western genre. Centered around a mysterious stranger played by Clint Eastwood as he hunts down $200,000 buried somewhere in the desert of the American Southwest, the violent and strikingly beautiful movie is one for the ages.

Why It's A Good Option for Sons of Anarchy Fans: At the very core of it, Sons of Anarchy is a modern-day western with motorcycles replaced the steeds of outlaws past. What better way to follow up the long-running biker gang drama than by watching one of the quintessential westerns, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. You can in Charlie Hunnam's facial expressions throughout the series that he drew inspiration from Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name.

Stream it on Amazon here.

Well, hopefully that's more than enough to hold you over now that you've finished all seven seasons of Sons of Anarchy. But don't feel like you're limited it this movies and television shows, as there are countless others that either inspired or took inspiration from Kurt Sutter's biker gang epic. And we've got you covered if you want to know how Charlie Hunnam looked so good in The Gentlemen here on CinemaBlend.

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At this time, nearly a year has passed since the battle for dominance over Westeros came to its final conclusion. Whether or not this conclusion satisfied you, after so many years of following the trials and fierce competition of the nine houses, it is still not unusual to suffer from post Game of Thrones separation anxiety. A good cure for that is an Amazon Prime subscription.

The HBO series inspired by the unfinished series of fantasy novels by George R.R. Martin collectively dubbed A Song of Ice and Fire was an incendiary hit on par with most cinematic blockbusters in terms of pop culture influence and dominance at the water cooler. It is rare for such a series to have this kind of influence on the populace, but not as rare to find one with similar themes of interfamilial strife, cross-cultural conflict, forbidden love, and even more dragons.

Much of the best movies and TV shows that fall under those (or similar) categories that should satisfy the most devout Game of Thrones fans are available to stream right now on Amazon Prime. Catch up on these 12 films and series before winter comes.

Britannia (2017-Present)

What It’s About: In the year 43 AD, the Roman Army comes to conquer the Celtic land called Britannia, but not without facing the wrath of its female warriors and druids who claim they can conjure the dark forces.

Why It's A Good Option for Game of Thrones fans: While it is loosely based on historical fact, and proves most accurate in its brutal battle sequences, Britannia (a British import picked up by Amazon Prime in 2018 that also stars The Walking Dead’s David Morrissey) takes a few liberties with fantastic elements and the 1960s folk song ("Hurdy Gurdy Man" by Donovan) that serves as its intro theme music.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here.

Dragonslayer (1981)

What It’s About: An elderly wizard (Sydney Bromley) and his young apprentice (Peter MacNicol) are tasked with saving the beautiful princess of their kingdom (Caitlin Clarke) before she becomes the next one to be sacrificed to an evil dragon as part of a heinous agreement between the fire breathing creature and the King.

Why It's A Good Option for Game of Thrones fans: Nominated for two Academy Awards, the inspired hero's journey of MacNicol's young, aspiring wizard of Dragonslayer has since earned the spectacular adventure a cult following of which Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin is a fan.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here.

Rome (2005-2007)

What It’s About: A chronicle of the final days before the autocratic Roman Empire’s historical downfall, seen through the eyes of its superiors and common residents alike.

Why It's A Good Option for Game of Thrones fans: This Emmy-winning series, co-created by Conan the Barbarian director John Milius, is yet another period drama from HBO with all the sex, gore, political intrigue, and incest that Game of Thrones fans love, the biggest difference being that most of what you see on the two seasons of Rome actually happened.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here. (Note: Rome is leaving Amazon Prime on May 21).

Highlander (1986)

What It’s About: A man born in 16th Century Scotland with the gift of eternal life (Christopher Lambert) is thrust into a gathering of other immortal swordsmen like him in modern day New York City, where they compete to be a spiritual, all-knowing being of great power, which “there can be only one.”

Why It's A Good Option for Game of Thrones fans: Also starring the legendary Sean Connery, Highlander is an iconic cult B-movie (which would spawn four sequels, three TV spin-offs, and inspired several other works of various media) for epic sword fights and an exciting fantasy spectacle that spans centuries.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here.

Vikings (2013- Present)

What It’s About: Ragnar Lothbok (Warcraft actor Travis Fimmel), a fierce 13th Century warrior known from Norse mythological legend, embarks on a plundering quest with fellow Viking folk to conquer distant lands.

Why It's A Good Option for Game of Thrones fans: Currently in its sixth and final season, Vikings, The History Channel’s first scripted series from The Tudors creator Michael Hirst, is a captivating period drama detailing the desperation to maintain dominance over one’s territory in one of the most brutal eras of history.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here.

Arn: The Knight Templar (2007)

What It’s About: After years of training to be a monk, a Swedish nobleman’s son (Joakim Nätterqvist) is later made into a soldier of God and his fiancée (Sofia Helin) a nun as punishment for their frowned upon pre-marital relations.

Why It's A Good Option for Game of Thrones fans: From epic medieval battles to forbidden love, Arn: The Knight Templar, the most expensive Scandinavian movie production to date and inspired by Jan Guillou’s literary trilogy, was practically made for fans of Games of Thrones before it became a series.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here.

Deadwood (2004-2006)

What It’s About: Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) is a good-natured lawman hoping to free his town from the corrupt and crime ridden hell that it has become under the influence of saloon owner Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) in 1870s South Dakota.

Why It's A Good Option for Game of Thrones fans: Deadwood is an actual town, and historic tourism spot, in South Dakota and, in the Emmy-winning HBO series of the same name (and its 2019 feature-length sequel special), it is the site of a a harrowing battle between good and evil in a plea to achieve authority over the titular town that gives viewers a healthy reminder that they called it the Wild West for a reason.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here. (Note: Deadwood is leaving Amazon Prime on May 21.)

Apocalypto (2006)

What It’s About: A Mayan tribesman (Rudy Youngblood) struggles to protect his wife, his child, and his unborn child as a group of deadly warriors seeking people to sacrifice threatens his kingdom.

Why It's A Good Option for Game of Thrones fans: Directed by Mel Gibson, Apocalypto imagines what the fall of the Mayan civilization may have looked like in what is possibly the most intensely graphic history lesson ever put to film.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here.

The Expanse (2015-Present)

What It’s About: After uncovering a government conspiracy, an interplanetary ice freighter crew reluctantly become the last hope for the colonized Solar System.

Why It's A Good Option for Game of Thrones fans: Based on the novels by James S.A. Corey, The Expanse was picked up by Amazon Prime for a fifth season following SyFy’s cancellation following the series widespread acclaim as “Game of Thrones in space” for its clever political storytelling with a visceral science fiction flavor.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here.

Age Of Uprising: The Legend Of Michael Kohlhaas (2013)

What It’s About: A simple horse dealer and father (Mads Mikkelsen) leads an army formed to restore justice after the devastating murder of his wife in 16th Century France.

Why It's A Good Option for Game of Thrones fans: Based on the famous novella by Heinrech von Kleist, the French-language film Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michal Kohlhaas is as much an inspiring tale of a man establishing justice by the edge of his sword as much as it is, simply, a thrilling revenge epic.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here.

Animal Kingdom (2016-Present)

What It’s About: A 17-year-old is adopted and brought into the home of his relatives, only to discover their illustrious lifestyle is made possible by through crime.

Why It's A Good Option for Game of Thrones fans: This hit TNT series is based on an Oscar-nominated 2010 Australian film, also called Animal Kingdom, which comments on the strong bond that family members share, even through undesirable means.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here.

Black Adder (1982-1989)

What It’s About: In the 14th Century, the self-centered, sniveling Duke of Edinburgh (Rowan Atkinson) struggles to usurp the throne from his father and brother through a series of bumbling schemes.

Why It's A Good Option for Game of Thrones fans: With all the intensity that comes with binging these programs, eventually you are going to want some comic relief and Black Adder, the brilliant cult comedy series set in feudal Britain and co-written by Atkinson (Mr. Bean, himself) and Love, Actually director Richard Curtis with a little inspiration from William Shakespeare, is exactly how Game of Thrones fans need of a good laugh can have their cake and eat it too... that is until the fourth season, which jumps ahead several extra centuries and puts the cast in the middle of World War II.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here.

What do you think? Are these the best moves and TV shows that a fan of Games of Thrones with an Amazon Prime subscription can spend their streaming time with, or do you think I know nothing? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for any post-finale updates on the hit medieval fantasy series as well as more streaming recommendations here on CinemaBlend.

Television had an eventful year in 2019, with the end of some of the biggest shows on the small screen in the forms of Game of Thrones and The Big Bang Theory, reality TV getting wilder than ever, and new streaming services launching to add even more competition to the market. Oh, and a whole bunch of characters died, and they weren't even all from Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead!

Yes, while some shows were delivering laughs from start to finish in 2019, others were striking down beloved and/or impactful characters right, left, and center. Some were deaths that fans could see coming from a mile away, and others were shocking enough to change the way TV should be watched. So, as we look ahead to 2020 and all the wonderful possibilities in a new year of television, let's take a moment to reflect on the biggest TV deaths of 2019.

Warning: MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD for the 2019 TV season lie ahead. If you want to avoid finding out who bit the dust on TV shows large and small last year, feel free to check out some of our less deadly articles.

Christopher LaSalle, NCIS: New Orleans

Despite its status as a CBS procedural that generally saves any twists with lingering effects for premieres and finales, NCIS: New Orleans delivered one of the most shocking deaths of TV in 2019 by killing off Christopher LaSalle in a seemingly random Season 6 episode. LaSalle was no background player or newcomer to NCIS: NOLA, and there was no fanfare leading up to his demise. There wasn't even a cliffhanger. While trying to avenge his brother's death, he was shot, and eventually succumbed to his wounds in the hospital. LaSalle died, NCIS: NOLA honored him, and it wasn't even the fall finale yet! R.I.P. LaSalle.

Pennsatucky, Orange Is The New Black

Orange Is the New Black wrapped its run as one of Netflix's defining series with Season 7 in July 2019, but one character did not survive for a life of freedom, fulfillment, and happiness: Tiffany Doggett, a.k.a. Pennsatucky. Despite working in Season 7 to overcome her learning disability and get her GED, Pennsatucky turned to fentanyl after believing she failed. Tragically, she overdose on the drug and died, found too late by Taystee. Viewers did get a little bit of closure, as Pennsatucky was last seen when her spirit walked away from Litchfield. Still, the belated reveal that she had passed her GED exam after all was salt on an open wound.

Mayor Adam West, Family Guy

The death of Family Guy's Mayor Adam West did not come as a surprise, as the real Adam West (who voiced the animated version of himself for the Fox series) passed away in 2017, and there was no intention to recast the role. Family Guy didn't actually detail what happened to the mayor when the time came to address his death, but it did find a way to honor the late actor that was poignant in its own Family Guy sort of way. The high school was renamed in Mayor West's honor, and Peter created a video dedication to him.

Henry, The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead proved in Season 9 that it wasn't done killing off teenagers with the big fair episode that was a bloodbath courtesy of Alpha. In a twist that was somehow both shocking and a long time coming, the episode revealed that Alpha and her Whisperers had murdered a number of the good guys and mounted their head on pikes, with Henry among the dead and decapitated. This marks the second child of Carol's to die an awful death (and the second played by a Lintz sibling) and was a sign that something needed to change in the fight against the Whisperers.

Logan Echolls, Veronica Mars

The Veronica Mars Season 4 revival on Hulu could have given Marshmallows everything they wanted after years of hoping for more... but unless they were hoping for Jason Dohring's Logan Echolls to be killed off and the iconic Veronica/Logan pairing to ended for good, then they were probably disappointed by the ending. It actually seemed like Veronica Mars was finally giving Veronica a happy ending when she and Logan tied the knot, but before they could take off on their honeymoon, Logan was killed in a car bomb. Showrunner Rob Thomas' explanation for killing off Veronica's longtime flame wasn't enough for some, and the show will look very different if it gets a Season 5.

Candy, Pose

Pose never shied away from showing that the trans women of the FX series face a lot of danger. Never was that more clear than in Season 2, when Candy was murdered in a motel room. Her friends had no faith in the NYPD devoting resources to solving the crime, and if Pose had ended Candy's story there, fans might not have gotten any closure. Instead, her friends threw her a memorial which even saw some resolution for the feud between Candy and Pray Tell. Angelica Ross also got one more ballroom performance as Candy, reminding viewers of the vibrant woman Candy was before her life was cut short.

Daenerys Targaryen, Game Of Thrones

Game of Thrones ended its divisive final season with a controversial twist: Daenerys Targaryen was killed by lover/nephew Jon Snow shortly after winning the Iron Throne. Her end seemed unavoidable after she made the decision to roast King's Landing with Drogon when it really wasn't necessary, and her speech about conquering the rest of the world -- including Winterfell -- was the last straw for Jon. He wasn't thrilled about killing her, and he didn't use her death as a means to claim the Iron Throne for himself, but it was still a brutal betrayal for Dany. Fortunately, Drogon didn't actually eat her when he flew away with her, so there's that!

Jack, Supernatural

Supernatural announced that it would end after its fifteenth season shortly before the Season 14 finale, so the stakes were very high for fans waiting to see how the show would set up its final season. Tragically, Supernatural went the route of revealing God as the biggest of big bads, who was the "writer" of the Winchesters' story all along, and he went ahead and killed Jack after the Winchesters decided they weren't going to play along anymore. The death of Jack, who had become like a son to Castiel and the Winchesters despite killing Mary, set up an intense beginning to Season 15. But are characters ever really gone on Supernatural?

Dr. Manhattan, Watchmen

HBO's Watchmen was more of a sequel to the iconic Alan Moore comic series than a straight adaptation, so viewers had no idea if and how the show would incorporate characters from the comics. Dr. Manhattan eventually debuted in all his blue glory, and the reveal that he'd actually been in the mix for some time was a game-changer. Sadly, Dr. Manhattan was vaporized in the Season 1 finale due to the ongoing attempt by several people to gain his powers for themselves. While he's gone, Angela may have inherited his powers, so surely fans deserve another season to see the post-Dr. Manhattan world of Watchmen, right?

Otis, Chicago Fire

Chicago Fire has a habit of ending season finales (and even midseason finales) on intense cliffhangers, and Season 7 closed with the lives of most of Firehouse 51 in very real jeopardy. Instead of opening Season 8 with the miraculous escapes of everybody, one firefighter lost his life: Otis. Not only was his demise heartbreaking and surprisingly gruesome, but it also meant the loss of one of Fire's original characters. Otis' death was arguably the biggest since Shay's in Season 3, and his loss continues to be felt even at the halfway point of Season 8. Hopefully he's the only big death Fire fans face for a while!

Jim Hopper, Stranger Things

The long-awaited third season of Stranger Things on Netflix ended on a twist that was long-dreaded: the demise of Chief Jim Hopper. In the desperate fight to close the latest gate to the Upside Down, Hopper wound up exposed to the deadly device that would do the job. Joyce made the difficult decision to sacrifice Hopper to save everybody, and the season ended with Eleven living with the Byers after losing her adopted dad. Well, that's almost how it ended. There was actually a post-credits scene that suggested Hopper could have survived by diving through the portal before it closed, but his presumed death lands him a spot on this list.

Lakeisha, Power

Power killed off no shortage of characters in Season 6 on Starz, but the death of LaKeisha was still a blow. Perhaps most striking about the big death was that LaKeisha was gunned down by a friend: Tasha. When the two got into an altercation and fought over a firearm, Tasha shot LaKeisha in the torso. Although clearly upset herself, Tasha didn't listen to LaKeisha's pleas not to finish the job, and she went ahead and shot LaKeisha in the head. Tasha did say that she was sorry before pulling the trigger, but that presumably wasn't much comfort to LaKeisha in her final moments before she was killed.

Oliver Queen, Arrow

Arrow leading man Oliver Queen's death has actually been foreshadowed since all the way back in December 2018, so the demise of the Arrow-verse's founding superhero in the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover wasn't shocking. That said, some were surprised that he died with little fanfare in the first of five crossover episodes. His friends dipped him in the Lazarus Pit to bring him back, but he was still kinda sorta dead by the end of the first few episodes of the crossover event. It's probably a safe bet that he'll be back among the living for the Arrow series finale later in January, but his "Crisis" death was a very big deal.

Smurf, Animal Kingdom

TNT's Animal Kingdom delivered a shocker of a death in Season 4 when none other than Smurf was killed off, in a move that actress Ellen Barkin was seemingly not happy about at all. Although the stage was set for Smurf's potential demise after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, she went out in a far more violent way. Wanting to go out on her own terms rather than waste away, Smurf staged a heist designed to end in her death. Although it didn't go entirely to plan, the Cody matriarch got her wish and was shot to death, with son J taking the shot to end his mother's life.

Georgia, New Amsterdam

New Amsterdam wrapped its first season on NBC on a huge cliffhanger that guaranteed the death of one of the most important women in Max's life: friend Helen, coworker Lauren, and wife Georgia. While the Season 2 premiere played around with the reveal of which woman died, the ultimate reveal was that Georgia died but Max was refusing to process the fact and was instead imagining that she was still alive with him and his daughter. Georgia's death impacted the entire show in some huge ways, and New Amsterdam lingered on the effects rather than fast-forwarding Max into recovery and perhaps even another relationship.

Missandei, Game Of Thrones

While so many characters died in the final season of Game of Thrones that it's hard to narrow down the most important other than Daenerys, Missandei's death was both heartbreaking and key to the plot. Although Dany was arguably already approaching Mad Queen territory by the time of Missandei's death, she didn't fully snap until Cersei's executed her loyal friend in front of her. Missandei's final word was "Dracarys," and Dany certainly embraced that sentiment when she and Drogon went ahead and roasted King's Landing. If not for Missandei's death, would Dany have gone off the deep end to the point that Jon felt the need to kill her?

Fred Andrews, Riverdale

The death of Fred Andrews on The CW's Riverdale was written into the show after actor Luke Perry passed away. Although Perry died during Season 3, the show held his farewell episode until the Season 4 premiere, which brought in his former Beverly Hills, 90210 costar Shannen Doherty. The reveal came that Fred died after being hit by a car when he stopped on the side of the road to help a stranded driver. The episode got a little weird in true RIverdale fashion when Archie and his pals decided to retrieve his father's body themselves, but the premiere was a touching tribute to Perry.

Honorable Mention: Pretty Much Everybody Except The Starks And Co., Game Of Thrones

If all the notable characters who died in Game of Thrones' final season received an entry on this list, you might still be reading it by the time of the list for 2020 TV deaths. Between the Battle of Winterfell, the fighting on land and sea, Dany just going ahead and burning King's Landing, and the deadly finale, a whole lot of people died.

Varys, Theon, Ser Jorah, the Hound, and of course Jaime and Cersei were among the most important deaths, but Season 8 was such a bloodbath that it seemed like pretty much everybody important died except for the Starks and the other "good" guys. So, all of those who couldn't be remembered with their own entry on this list get an honorable mention!

So, there we have the biggest (although certainly not only) TV deaths from 2019! 2020 will undoubtedly see a lot more characters bite the dust, although hopefully none of those best new TV characters from last year! We'll have to wait and see. Game of Thrones won't have any contenders, but there are plenty of other deadly shows that could axe its characters at any point. For your viewing options now and in the not-too-distant future, be sure to swing by our 2020 midseason premiere schedule and our 2020 Netflix premiere guide.

If there’s one thing that’s true about Game of Thrones it’s that fans simply cannot stop talking about HBO’s hit fantasy drama, despite the fact that it ended a little over five years ago. While there was much controversy surrounding the show, especially in the divisive final season, there’s no denying that it ruled the airwaves while it was on. As such, the drama's exit after Season 8 left a big hole in the hearts and TV schedules of millions of fans. Luckily, checking out some of the best streaming services makes finding a worthy substitute for the political machination-filled series easier than you might think.

For this list, we selected TV shows that had at least one major element in common with GOT, whether it be the genre, general storylines, or overall themes. This list includes a variety of series that mainly exist in the crime drama, fantasy, and historical fiction realms, but with one comedic show sprinkled in just for funsies. Let’s get to it!

House Of The Dragon (HBO)

Here’s an obvious no-brainer, especially for viewers who want to keep up with the on-screen world of George R.R. Martin and all of the upcoming Game of Thrones TV shows that are planned as spinoffs of the famed series. The focus of this section is the first such series to debut, House of the Dragon, is a prequel that takes us back in Westeros history, to look at a time 300 years before the events of the main series, when the Targaryens were still in power and there were a lot more dragons.

None of GOT's main players are involved here, but we still get a look at the dangerous moves and deadly alliances of their ancestors, the similarity of the basic setting, and, you know, more incest. House of the Dragon Season 3 is on the way, but not for a while.

Stream House of the Dragon on Max.

The Witcher (Netflix)

Ex-Superman Henry Cavill starred in three seasons of Netflix's fantasy series, The Witcher, which released its first season in December 2019 for those with a Netflix subscription, and immediately polarized viewers in a Thrones-esque way. It follows three main characters: the monster hunter Geralt of Rivia (Cavill), the young princess Ciri (Freya Allan), and the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra).

Based on Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski's saga of the same name, it follows the three as they try to survive a war that’s taken over the Continent while also attempting to keep young Ciri safe from those looking to use her mysterious powers for nefarious purposes. The Witcher Season 4 is being filmed now, with Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth taking over the lead role.

This series and Game of Thrones use fantasy elements to tell stories grounded in real life issues. For example, both series discuss the confining nature of a class system, and each show shines a big bright light on societal prejudices. And, yes, like GOT, The Witcher has plenty of battle scenes, some mature language and other adult themes to go along with all the magical creatures, backstabbing and politicking. As a plus, you don’t have to know anything about the books to jump in and enjoy it, though looking at The Witcher timeline will help.

Stream The Witcher on Netflix.

Vikings And Vikings: Valhalla (Netflix)

History's Vikings tells the story of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his rather large family, exploring the tumultuous life and adventures of this legendary Viking king. While the Michael Hirst-created historical hit wrapped with its sixth and final season in 2020, Netflix took that warrior-filled ball and ran with the sequel, Vikings: Valhalla, set 100 years after the events of the original show and following a new generation of leaders, schemers, and deadly fighters.

GOT and the Vikings shows share the concept of watching the rise and fall of kings and queens, and while the power struggles begin with Ragnar, they carry on to include all his heirs and, as noted, a generation many years into the future. So, being a generational saga is also something all three shows have in common, and they also explore the complexity of female and male warriors. All six seasons of Vikings are available on Netflix, along with all three seasons of Vikings: Valhalla.

Stream Vikings on Netflix.
Stream Vikings: Valhalla on Netflix.

The Last Kingdom (Netflix)

The Last Kingdom follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon) as he faces his conflicting heritage; he was born an Anglo-Saxon but raised by Vikings. Viewers see his story, and a fictionalized birth of England, as it's set in the 9th century A.D. and based on Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories series, with each season following two books from the series.

This drama and GOT share in their love of long battle scenes. Both also deal with the question of birthrights, and familial blood versus adopted culture and traditions. They also deal with the hero's journey of accepting his or her destiny. All five seasons of the action-packed drama are available on Netflix, along with the final film, The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die, which was released after the series was canceled.

Stream The Last Kingdom on Netflix.
Stream The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die on Netflix.

The Tudors (Amazon)

The Tudors follows the Tudor dynasty of Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and his six wives, with Game of Thrones’ Natalie Dormer – who played Margaery Tyrell on the hit HBO series – portraying one of those famous wives. The historical drama aired on Showtime for four seasons and ran for 38 episodes in total.

This historical drama and GOT both brought in huge ratings for their respective cable networks during their run, and neither was afraid to use that TV-MA rating to push boundaries of nudity and sex scenes. The Tudors took a very sexy approach to fictionalized history, and GOT frequently took a similar path with its fabricated history, while both also show how absolute power corrupts.

Stream The Tudors on Amazon.

Succession (Max)

The Emmy-winning dark-comedy Succession follows the Roy Family as they battle for control of the Waystar Royco Company. Brian Cox plays the aging patriarch Logan Roy, whose family includes his wife and four children, with impeccable actors such as Hiam Abbass, Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Sarah Snook, and Jeremy Strong serving as part of the Succession cast.

Succession and GOT share both a network and the theme of toxic family dynamics. Succession is what Game of Thrones would be if the latter was comedic, based in reality, and set in the modern day, with slightly fewer deaths by eye-gouging. This series ended with its fourth season finale at the end of May 2023, and you can watch the entire run on Max.

Stream Succession on Max.

Animal Kingdom (Amazon Prime)

Animal Kingdom begins with J Cody (Finn Cole) reuniting with his estranged family after his mother's death. Immediately, J tries to carve his place in the Cody family criminal enterprise, which is headed up by Ellen Barkin's cold and calculating matriarch, Smurf. GOT and Animal Kingdom both explore the family feuds that result when everyone believes that they should be king. The original main cast also includes Scott Speedman, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, and Jake Weary.

J is a very ambiguous character whose motives are never quite clear. Is he trying to join the family business, take it over, or destroy it? This puts him on the same level as infamously dubious GOT characters like Lord Baelish (Aidan Gillen), and…just about everyone else there. While not as extreme as the HBO series, AK also disturbingly dips its toes in the incest pool, as Smurf often flirts with her sons and grandson. The crime drama is based on the Australian film of the same name, and your Amazon Prime subscription will give you all six seasons.

Stream Animal Kingdom on Amazon Prime Video.

Peaky Blinders (Netflix)

Peaky Blinders follows the Shelby crime family, led by Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy). Set in Birmingham, England in 1919, it showcases the creation of a criminal dynasty, and ended with six seasons, though a Peaky Blinders movie is on the way.

Both dramas share a love of corrupt characters who are also really likable. The families on the HBO hit do pretty terrible things to others and each other, but some of the morally challenged characters still make you root for them. The same can be said for the Shelby clan. Additionally, both series explore the beginning and progression of a kingdom, but on the Netflix series, the kingdom comes in the form of a criminal empire.

Stream Peaky Blinders on Netflix.

The White Queen (Starz)

The Starz miniseries, The White Queen, aired in 2013 and had 10 episodes, with Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novel of the same name about England's War of the Roses in the 1400s serving as the source material. Spinoffs The White Princess and The Spanish Princess both followed on the network. Rebecca Ferguson plays the titular character, Elizabeth Woodville, Janet McTeer portrayed her mother, Jacquetta, Faye Marsay appears as Anne Neville, and Amanda Hale plays Margaret Beaufort.

The White Queen follows sympathetic female characters as they manipulate events and situations to gain power and liberation. Like GOT, this series has ambitious, brave, and smart female characters who make dangerous decisions in order to protect themselves and their families. Both series also show the female leads to be just as powerful and vital to the power struggle as their male counterparts. The White Queen is only available through a Starz subscription, which you can add on several other services, like through your Hulu subscription.

Stream The White Queen on Starz.

Mary & George (Starz)

We have one more historical drama for you in Mary & George, which is based on the non-fiction book, The King’s Assassin. The story follows Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham (Julianne Moore) as she uses her son, George (Nicholas Galitzine) to gain power, money and influence for their family by enlisting him to become the lover of King James VI and I.

This mini-series (which aired in early 2024) is based on real events, and I don’t know if we’ve ever seen a mother and son scheme, lie, plot and kill more to make sure their family rises in standing. Obviously, the Villiers share many traits with several of the most vile and self-interested GOT characters, and any viewer who misses all the murder, machinations and racy scenes of that show should love this one.

Stream Mary & George on Starz.

Game of Thrones was a one-of-a-kind series, so it’s impossible to find a direct replacement, but the listed shows offer fans something to binge as they continue the long, frustrating wait for The Winds of Winter.

Disneyphiles know the Magic Kingdom is Florida’s most popular theme park and attendance has stayed fairly even-keeled in recent years, with 20,450,00 fans hitting the park in 2017 and 20,859,000 fans hitting Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in 2019. Elsewhere, the parks haven’t seen as much stability, and in recent years, Epcot in particular has been hit pretty hard in the numbers, at least when compared to growth in other parks.

You know Epcot, it’s the one with the big, white geodesic dome housing Spaceship Earth. At this point, it really only has a few rides (albeit good rides for the most part) and of course, the World Showcase Pavilion. Despite that, people have really liked to eat and drink around the world – particularly when there are festivals involved – and Epcot was long the second most popular Disney park for goers to attend.

No longer. In fact, Epcot may be on its way to being the least popular Walt Disney World park in short order. Here’s what’s happening.

The Current Disney Parks Rankings

As of 2017, when Walt Disney World opened Pandora in Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, it has slowly-but-steadily climbed in the rankings to become the number 2 park. In 2018, Animal Kingdom was able to see 13,750,00 people walk through its gates, up from 12,500,000 in 2017.

Prior to 2017, Animal Kingdom had even lower attendance, as the Avatar-themed edition to the park had not opened up yet at that point. (It should also be mentioned that Animal Kingdom is close to Animal Kingdom Lodge and a few hotels but is further away from the popular Magic Kingdom and some of the other parks.)

Before we get into specific numbers, it should be noted that Epcot’s overall attendance was up a bit over the last few years. For example, in 2018, Epcot saw 12,444,000 come into the park while in 2017 that number was only 12,200,000. However, as you can see from the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom numbers earlier in this article, Epcot has dropped into third place at the time of this writing.

In fact, it may well be on its way to fourth place. Why? Because Hollywood Studios is really pushing out more to do for fans of all kinds of films and types of rides, from Pixar to Star Wars.

In the past, Hollywood Studios has been a bit more of a park for families with older kids who like thrill rides. But Disney World is working to change that a bit. While rides like Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster still exist, there’s more to do for families of all ages.

In fact, this has already started with the Toy Story-oriented area of Hollywood studios. Next, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge is opening this week at Walt Disney World, following the big opening at Disneyland a few months ago. In addition, Hollywood Studios has reworked its shows to include more Star Wars content in recent years and will be adding an old school throwback Mickey and Minnie ride in what used to be The Great Movie Ride space.

This has bumped Hollywood Studios' attendance up from 10,722, 000 to 11,258,000 in the same 2016 to 2017timeframe. Yes, the park is still currently the least-attended Walt Disney World park. I’m pretty optimistic for its future prospects, however, as there's even more new stuff heading to the parks right at this moment, as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens this month and has another big ride, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, hitting the park in December.

Meanwhile, Epcot has been closing much more than it has been opening, including rides that were lagging in popularity, like the educational Ellen’s Energy Adventure, which closed in 2017. Although newer rides like Frozen Ever After have energized the park somewhat, there’s been a feeling that what has been available is a little tired. (And knowing I may upset some people, dare I say maybe also a little too educational.)

New Epcot plans are underway, thankfully. We know the park is getting a Guardians of the Galaxy rollercoaster, a Moana walkthrough attraction and another new ride called Remy’s Rattatouille Adventure in the France part of the pavillion. Plus, plans from D23 Expo this weekend indicated the changes are going to be even bigger than we initially thought.

The Plans For Epcot Couldn’t Have Come At A Better Time

While Epcot is still slightly ahead of the likes of Hollywood Studios, the updates being made to that park could shift the edge to Hollywood Studios in the coming months.

Luckily, Disney Parks wants Walt Disney World’s Epcot to be a popular place people want to go to. In fact, at D23 this year we learned about a whole bunch of improvements coming to the park, from updating the entrance to adding a new fountain and demolishing the old. Things like a new Mary Poppins experience should also spruce up the park along with the new rides.

Walt Disney World and the other Disney parks are often adding some sorts of new attractions and doing some updates, but in recent years there seems to have been a renewed focus on the theme parks and making them the best they can be. Which is why the lack of attention on Epcot has been fairly noticeable.

Honestly, these updates couldn’t come at a better time. Epcot is a unique park with a fun countries pavilion that also features an event space. The various festivals the park puts on are some of the most exciting all year and Epcot also offers some of the best food options in all of Disney World.

Some of the rides that are there are world class, too, including Frozen Ever After, Test Track and Soarin’ Over The World. Yet, it’s a big park that takes a long time to walk and there are plenty of gaps where there has been very little to do.

The biggest news is that Disney World will be reaching its 50th anniversary in 2021, and at that point it looks as if the theme park will be a little closer to the other Disney parks with more of a ride focus rather than an education focus. That may be sad for some and better in some ways for others. I know one park will always have to be in fourth place, but I personally -- and perhaps selfishly -- hope it’s not Epcot. The park deserves better as the big 5-0 approaches.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated regarding Epcot’s progress. In the meantime, stay tuned for more updates related to Disney parks and the movies that have inspired some of the best attractions. If you’d like to see how the Top 25 theme parks have fared, you can see more stats from Disney World, Disneyland, Ocean Kingdom and Universal Studios with the full report from Themed Entertainment Association.

Major spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched the Season 4 finale of Animal Kingdom.

While TNT's Animal Kingdom has been the same gritty, violent and unapologetic drama for the past four seasons, everything changed (to a certain extent) with the penultimate episode, which did the dirty deed of killing off Ellen Barkin's main character Janine "Smurf" Cody. The season finale didn't magically bring her back to life – much to Barkin's displeasure – but it definitely made things more complicated and hectic for the Cody boys in Season 5.

Denis Leary's Billy made a heck of a surprising return, both for audiences and for his son Deran, but it was somehow still Smurf's actions from beyond the grave that shook all the characters the hardest, considering her will left basically everything to a former criminal accomplice who went to jail while Smurf did not. Combine that with the sons' need to reinforce how intimidating and unbreakable the Smurf-free Cody family still is, and it sounds like a mental shit-show for all involved.

Executive producer John Wells spoke with Deadline about how Smurf's history and various relationships will continue to play roles in the lives of the Cody boys. In his words:

I think the biggest opportunity and challenge rolled into one is finding a way to showcase the depth and importance of Smurf’s role in the Cody family psychologically. Next season, the writers will get a chance to explore how our characters were formed by Smurf and how those twisted connections continue to affect them after she’s gone. There is a lot to unpack there.

As it sometimes goes, a death can lead to a string of discoveries that throws that person's family into a whirlwind of panic and confusion. When you're talking about Ellen Barkin's Smurf, though, you're taking that concept to the nth degree. From the various baby-daddies she courted to the criminals she partnered with, Smurf was often chaos incarnate, and her warped take on love and motherhood will undoubtedly coil itself around the hearts of Pope, Deran, Craig and J as they continue maintaining their reputation in Smurf's absence.

If Animal Kingdom really wanted to go down the unbeaten path, it would show audiences connections that Smurf made in her past that weren't twisted at all. But then that would probably only make for a ten-minute-long episode.

When asked about a previous moment in Season 4 that spoke to where the show's future was heading, John Wells spoke to an episode that aired a few weeks ago, saying this:

In "SHTF" (Episode 409), nobody in the family knows where Smurf is. Her absence forces each of our characters to think about a future without Smurf, at the same time that the audience sees Smurf planning her grand finale. Pope, thinking Smurf left for good, reveals her illness to the rest of the family. Smurf’s reappearance at the end of the episode feels like a surprise, and is the jumping off point for Smurf to set her last job into motion, with all of the boys heading into the job already feeling the weight of Smurf’s potential demise, even if they don’t know that it is coming so soon.

Just two episodes later, in the John Wells-directed "Ghosts," Smurf led an attack against Jed and his people, making it look like a gold robbery when it was in fact a kamikaze attempt. Not wanting to potentially wither away as a cancer patient, Smurf made up her mind to get taken down in a gunfight, and gets extremely pissed off at Pope for disrupting it. After she unsuccessfully tries threatening Pope into killing her, J. is the one that steps in and puts her down, which almost got him booted from the gang, family or no family.

J. managed to buy himself a bowling alley and a laundromat with money he siphoned away from Smurf, which ended up being the wisest move possible ahead of her death. Not that I believer he and the others will be able to turn a fully honest profit through the businesses, since that would make things too easy. But we'll have to see what he and Frankie get into when Season 5 comes around.

Are you guys excited to see what the Cody sons will destroy in Season 5? Will it once again be the face of Angel's brother Mike? Will the sons end up getting the will faked, or will they really go unrewarded for their loyalty to Smurf's leadership?

Find out when Season 5 of Animal Kingdom hits TNT at some point presumably in 2020.

Spoilers ahead for the penultimate episode of Animal Kingdom Season 4.

The second to last episode of Animal Kingdom Season 4 did the unthinkable and killed off Smurf Cody, played by Ellen Barkin. Although the character's demise seemed all but guaranteed after her cancer diagnosis earlier in the season, few could have predicted that she'd die ahead of the season finale after being shot by J. While she did more or less go out on her own terms rather than a drawn-out death from her disease, Barkin seemingly isn't happy that Smurf was killed off.

In his explanation of why Smurf died, executive producer John Wells gave the impression that Ellen Barkin was on board with how her character met her end. Barkin herself hasn't explicitly condemned the twist, but some social media activity suggests that she wasn't thrilled about what went down. She posted this on Twitter:

While the post is hardly a specific condemnation of the show, John Wells, or anybody else about the Smurf twist, it seems to show at least a little bit of bitterness about how her exit was handled in the latest episode.

Animal Kingdom fans everywhere can probably agree that Smurf is a big part of what made the show a hit, and she was the glue that held the Cody family as together as possible. Can Animal Kingdom ever be the same now that Smurf is dead, shot by one of her own boys?

Ellen Barkin's tweet isn't the only sign that she's not too happy with what happened. She also went on a spree of 'likes' on Twitter that could be proof of what she's not saying herself. She liked comments ranging from suggestions that the show would be cancelled without Smurf to comments about why she was really written out of the show to complaints about how it happened.

Take a look!

In response to Ellen Barkin's message of gratitude after the reveal of Smurf's death, one viewer predicted cancellation for Animal Kingdom and, based on the emoji choice, I'm going to go ahead and guess that this person won't be heartbroken if that happens. The tweet also compliments Barkin's talent and suggests that Smurf was killed off partly due to Barkin's age.

Will Animal Kingdom get the axe without Ellen Barkin? The show does have a penchant for bringing in exciting new talent to tackle roles, as with the addition of The Originals' Joseph Morgan to play a character somehow less stable than Klaus, and Emily Deschanel of Bones fame after she was finally ready to return to TV.

In response to a tweet from the official Animal Kingdom account asking for fans' favorite moments of Smurf, one Smurf fan posted this:

Ellen Barkin both liked and replied to this tweet, which is a pretty clear endorsement of the sentiment. Is she sad that she had to leave the show, or that she lost her job? Or is there more behind her social media activity? Another post that she liked may be a clue.

Does Smurf's death mark the beginning of the end of Animal Kingdom? Well, the show has already been renewed for Season 5, so the end isn't nigh just yet, and the Season 4 finale could pay tribute to the Cody matriarch. Called "Smurf," the episode will see the Codys fighting to protect their reputation in "the aftermath of Smurf's heist." Friends and enemies alike close in.

The Season 4 finale airs Tuesday, August 20 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT. Be sure to tune in to get your first look at post-Smurf Animal Kingdom. Summer TV season is almost at an end, but the good news is that fall TV season has plenty of exciting premieres in store. To relive some of the glory days of Ellen Barkin as Smurf, you can find the first three seasons of Animal Kingdom streaming on Amazon Prime and the fourth streaming on Hulu.

Warning! Major spoilers below for the penultimate Season 4 episode of Animal Kingdom, so read at your own risk.

With the dysfunctionally family-driven crime drama Animal Kingdom on its way to a fifth season at TNT, the impending Season 4 finale seemed like a big time opportunity to deliver a game-changing moment. Little did fans realize that the show's creative team was going to drop is big bomb in the second-to-last episode, which (somewhat) shockingly killed off Ellen Barkin's matriarch Smurf Cody. And not in the slow, drawn-out-by-cancer way, either.

Smurf's diagnosis already did not bode well for Ellen Barkin's chances of sticking around for another few years. And even though that angle could have been reversed through the magic of storytelling, Smurf made it clear she wanted to end things on her terms, which were essentially "soon" and "by someone else's gun." J ended up being the one to take Smurf's life when all was said and done, seemingly tying their relationship up with a twisted little bow that matched the one Pope was hanging onto.

Executive producer John Wells, who wrote and directed the episode, explained why Animal Kingdom killed off its family matriarch, bringing Ellen Barkin's primetime TV streak to a halt (at least in the current timeline). First mentioning the challenge of keeping audiences interested by shaking things up in certain ways, Wells told this to EW:

Definitely a salient point. Similar to the constantly in-turmoil family at the heart of another John Wells-produced drama, Shameless, the Cody clan was so accustomed to the pecking order that arguably the most interesting move to make at this point was to cut off the chaotic head of the family tree. That's a metaphor, obviously, since bullets were used to do it.

As it sometimes goes with crime stories of this sort, Smurf's story came full-circle in a way with the episode "Ghosts." Viewers watched a flashback showing Colin's brother Jed getting rapey with Smurf and tackling her, causing her to go into premature labor with Pope and Julia. In the present, the Cody crew hit Jed's compound, where Smurf put an end to the douchebag portrayed by The Originals' Joseph Morgan. But it wasn't solely about revenge or anything. Smurf's ulterior motive was actually to die in the gunfight that ensued.

John Wells, who was also an executive producer on ER (and doesn't want a reboot), talks about arriving at that decision for the proper way to take Smurf out of the story.

When driven back to her most primal instincts, Smurf admitted she wanted to die on the same ground where Colin died. Naturally, her primal instincts also had her choosing that situation to tell Pope who his father was, and also to try and provoke Pope into shooting her. He somehow didn't, despite her screaming insults and actually taking a shot at him. J was the one who made the call to do her bidding.

Now what? For one, Pope's truck was left on the compound property, so Jed's underlings are going to put 2 and 2 together. Plus, the boys are scheming to get Smurf's body through the system without the cops being alerted to exactly how she died. Not to mention whatever new problems are going to crop up to set Season 5 up.

For those wondering how Ellen Barkin felt about getting the bad Smurf news, John Wells stated that being from the film world, she was still surprised at how long it lasted in the first place. What's more, he claims she loved the story and was full of excitement when her final scene came together.

How shocked were you guys to see Smurf get killed like that? Did you think she would beat cancer, or maybe find out it was somehow a false diagnosis? Will we get more flashbacks with other big recurring stars in the future?

It'll be a long week, but the Animal Kingdom Season 4 finale will air next Tuesday on TNT at 9:00 p.m. ET.

He's baaaack! We said goodbye to Joseph Morgan's Klaus Mikaelson on The Originals series finale one year ago as of August 1. We are always and forever fans of the British Vampire Diaries alum, and it's exciting to hear that he has two big TV projects coming up -- including one that starts airing next week.

You probably heard about Joseph Morgan's series regular role in Brave New World, which he just started filming and is very excited about. But he already filmed his appearance as Jed on Animal Kingdom Season 4. That episode, "SHTF," airs next Tuesday, July 23 on TNT.

We previously mentioned Joseph Morgan's role in Animal Kingdom's new season, but now we have more details about his role as Colin’s brother, Jed, plus an exclusive photo from TVLine:

Joseph Morgan's Jed looks mighty fine there, but TVLine warned that we shouldn't be deceived by his smile. Jed is described as unstable, and lives off the grid. He's "rejected mainstream society and chooses to live in isolation on a rural compound with his beleaguered wife and three children." Poor family. It's never a good sign when a wife is called "beleaguered."

Jed will appear in the Tuesday, July 23 episode "SHTF," as part of the show's continuing flashbacks to 1977 showing the origin story of Ellen Barkin's Smurf. Jed is brother to Colin, an emotionally damaged Vietnam War veteran who was part of an armed robbery crew with Smurf in 1977.

Here's TNT's synopsis for the July 23 episode featuring Joseph Morgan:

It's possible older 2019 Jed is who Smurf visits in the episode, with Joseph Morgan playing him in the '70s flashbacks.

Joseph Morgan certainly knows his way around a complicated character after playing Niklaus Mikaelson on The Vampire Diaries and then in the spinoff The Originals.

Vampire Diaries' Ian Somerhalder Says He And Paul Wesley Were 'So Bitter' About The Originals

Klaus was a villain fans loved to never-quite-hate. Now Klaus' daughter Hope Mikaelson is the lead character of Vampire Diaries' second spinoff, Legacies. Julie Plec had said Hope's Malivore storyline in Legacies Season 2 was shaping up as a natural fit for some characters to return from The Originals. Klaus got some name-drops in Legacies Season 1, and we got an update on his status in the afterlife, but will we get a chance to see Joseph Morgan's Klaus in person?

Joseph Morgan may be too busy with Brave New World, but then again that series could finish filming before Legacies Season 2 finishes taping its 2019-2020 season. We'll see.

What The Originals Cast Is Doing One Year After The Final Season

Animal Kingdom Season 4, Episode 9, featuring Joseph Morgan, airs Tuesday, July 23 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT. Legacies Season 2 premieres Thursday, October 10 on The CW.

Emily Deschanel is back on television in a role quite different from her Bones’ character: forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Earlier this year, it was announced that Deschanel would be joining the cast of TNT’s Animal Kingdom. Bones ended in 2017. After two years, what made Deschanel decide to take on her next big role? Deschanel explained, saying:

After 12 seasons on Bones, it makes sense that Emily Deschanel told ET that she needed a chance to decompress. She spent over a decade playing the lead in the Fox procedural. Following that, a long-term commitment to another show was not in the cards.

As she revealed, she was not interested in returning as the lead of another network show. Hence, the appeal of her Animal Kingdom arc. It is not going to be as intense as the commitment of a series lead. Were two years enough to decompress from twelve years of playing Dr. Temperance Brennan? Apparently so, because Emily Deschanel is back on television and in a significant way.

Instead of going in headfirst, the Bones star opted for something with a lower episode count. Emily Deschanel shared that she was initially looking for something a little more limited than her Animal Kingdom engagement turned out to be. She explained why she still decided to forge ahead. Deschanel said:

Emily Deschanel’s mission to get Brennan out of her system has clearly worked. She is back! I have to imagine that playing a character for over 240 episodes has to take its toll. It is a lot to say goodbye to as well. Back when the show ended, Deschanel revealed the most emotional scene from the finale.

Thanks to some distance, Emily Deschanel has chosen to dive back in with a character that has no similarities to Temperance “Bones” Brennan. It is a bold and understandable choice.

Another part of the allure of Animal Kingdom was not just the chance to change things up character-wise. In her interview, Emily Deschanel said that the drama had a different tone. Bones and Animal Kingdom share crime as a similarity. Their approach to it is incredibly varied. One is a gritty drama, and the other was a dramedy-style procedural.

Despite being off the air for two years, Bones is still making headlines. As for a reunion, David Boreanaz weighed in with his answer.

Emily Deschanel stars as Angela in Animal Kingdom’s fourth season. Recently released from prison, Angela has deep ties to the Cody family thanks to her friendship with J’s late mom and Pope’s twin sister, Julia. She wants to get in tight with the family. Viewers will have to tune in and see if she succeeds.

You can catch Emily Deschanel in her new role on Animal Kingdom this summer. New episodes of the thriller air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.

Emily Deschanel has left Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan far behind in her new role as Angela on Animal Kingdom. The Bones alum plays a recovering drug addict and scrappy, manipulative survivor. Angela is Julia's former best friend and drug buddy. And here's the first look at Deschanel's Angela in TNT's upcoming Season 4:

Animal Kingdom tweeted out a photo from TVLine, showing Angela checking out her surroundings. Angela is fresh out of prison, and inserts herself into the lives of the Cody family. Or, as the network put it, she tries to "snake her way back into the family's good graces." She's definitely not Bones anymore!

Apparently Joshua "J" Cody (Finn Cole) and Janine "Smurf" Cody (Ellen Barkin) have their guards up when Angela arrives, but TVLine teased that Angela may make it her top priority to get in good graces (and get in bed?) with Julia's twin Andrew "Pope" Cody (Shawn Hatosy).

Animal Kingdom's first season had 10 episodes and premiered in June 2016. Season 2 and Season 3 both had 13 episodes and premiered in May 2017 and May 2018. We'll have to stay tuned on an Animal Kingdom Season 4 premiere date. The season started production in early 2019 but TNT has yet to announce the return date. In the meantime, check out this behind-the-scenes tease:

Emily Deschanel will be recurring as Angela all season in what is meant to be a key story arc for Animal Kingdom. It's Deschanel's first major role since Bones ended almost exactly two years ago on March 28, 2017. She was announced for the role just about a month ago, and now we have this first image of her. This Angela sounds about 180 degrees from Bones, which must've been part of the draw for Deschanel -- to stretch her acting muscles a bit after more than 240 episodes as Temperance Brennan.

Emily Deschanel also voiced Marge in an episode of The Simpsons, but other than that, she's been in Temperance Brennan mode. She, Bones co-star David Boreanaz, and other producers have also been dealing with that long-running lawsuit against Fox for unpaid profits. That had a recent win on that front, and that must've been very gratifying, no matter what happens next from appeals.

Bones premiered in September 2005 and it has only been off the air for two years, but you know everyone is all about the reboots, revivals, and reunions these days. (David Boreanaz just teased an Angel reunion.) So don't be shocked if we hear something about a Bones reunion at some point down the road.

For now, stay tuned for more details on Animal Kingdom Season 4, which is one of the many shows coming soon as midseason 2019 winds down.

Emily Deschanel is returning to TV. Yes, the Bones actress has signed on for her next big TV gig. Her return will come via an established series, and her run will be significant. Deschanel has boarded TNT’s Animal Kingdom for its fourth season.

The actress will not be doing a guest role in Season 4 either. Emily Deschanel has signed on to star in a “major season-long arc,” per Deadline. Deschanel is set to recur as Angela in Season 4, and the character has deep ties to the Cody family.

Angela is the former best friend of J’s late mom, Julia. Fresh from prison, Angela is a recovering addict when she arrives at the Cody house. Her aim? To make her way back onto the Cody family’s good side.

Angela is described as a “survivor,” whose personality traits include her being “scrappy” and “manipulative.” That last bit does not speak to a particularly glowing review.

Considering her history with the Codys, there is a pre-existing tangled web. Angela used drugs with Julia, which gives Angela a close connection to Pope’s twin sister. That is something Angela will apparently leverage in a bid to seduce him. In turn, Pope may end up being Angela’s only potential supporter.

She is reviled by J, while Smurf is suspicious of her. J may have the best insight into Angela than anyone else. She was his mom’s former best friend. That should give him an edge over his other family members in determining what Angela is up to.

The role sounds like it has a lot of drama attached to it. Whatever J’s dislike for her, it will not be enough to scare Angela away from the show’s story right off the bat. She will be on throughout Season 4.

Based on the character description alone, it sounds like this will be an exciting role for Emily Deschanel. She is leaping back to television in a big way and on a show that approaches crime in a different way than Bones did. Deschanel starred as Temperance “Bones” Brennan for all of Bones’ twelve seasons. The crime procedural ended in 2017.

Bones was about catching criminals, whereas Animal Kingdom tells the story from a crime family’s perspective. Hence, her role on the latter series will mark a remarkable change of pace for the actress. So, when can fans expect to see Emily Deschanel make her Animal Kingdom debut?

A premiere date for Animal Kingdom Season 4 has not been set quite yet. Production began last month, per an Instagram post by actor Ben Robson, who plays Craig Cody on the show.

The show has traditionally premiered in the summer. So, it may only be a few months away. When Animal Kingdom does premiere, it will do so on TNT. While you await its return, there are a ton of shows arriving during the midseason.

Prepare to sink your "claws" into more of TNT's hit series. The cable network has given the green light to a third season of its original series Claws starring Niecy Nash, well before its current season has even finished airing and for good reason. According to TNT, Claws' second season is currently outpacing its first season, experiencing a nearly ten percent bump in viewership: nine percent to be exact. Claws is not the only series that will be around for another season.

Joining Claws for a new season renewal is the crime drama Animal Kingdom, which is also being given the go-ahead for more before its current season wraps. The TV adaptation of the critically lauded 2010 film is still going strong after nearly three seasons. Like Claws, TNT has made the decision in the wake of ratings the network is clearly pleased with. Both Animal Kingdom and Claws are ranked among the top ten cable dramas of 2018 per the network.

Given both series' impressive ratings feats, the decision to renew them was probably pretty easy to make. Making their rise all the more remarkable is that both Claws and Animal Kingdom have gained viewers in their follow-up seasons, when viewership usually trends down significantly. Word of mouth is arguably a huge component of both shows continuing to build an audience. And if their upward momentum continues, their latest seasons should add even more to their current numbers.

With a first season well-received by fans and critics, Claws has shown no indication of slowing down, given its rare avoidance of a sophomore slump. While Animal Kingdom, fresh off maintaining its quality, has built on its second season for a third season that is still performing well for TNT. Regarding digital viewership, Claws has doubled its views over last year's, while Animal Kingdom saw its digital audience increase four-fold from last year's views.

Adding to Claws and Animal Kingdom's impressive ratings trajectory is that both series air during the summer. With fewer fresh options to watch, both series have soaked up viewers wanting to enjoy something new. Along with the renewal news and ratings info, TNT also shares that both shows have people on social media talking. Both Claws and Animal Kingdom have engaging premises that are equipped with twists that leave viewers with lots to discuss with fellow fans. Thanks to the season renewals, they will have even more to talk about.

A premiere date has not been set for either series' return. Claws airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on TNT, while Animal Kingdom airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET. For new and returning television shows you can anticipate potentially viewing over the next couple months, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's summer premieres. For more about each series, check out TNT's official website.

After Avatar released in late 2009, there were reports of a phenomenon called 'Avatar Blues' or 'The Pandora Effect', that described how after leaving the utopic and immersive world of the film, audiences became depressed that such a place did not exist and they could not experience its wonders. Sadly, in the (almost) decade since Avatar we aren't much closer to getting to a real Pandora. However Pandora-The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom Park provides a great facsimile. For those looking to visit Pandora, Disney World is currently running an amazing contest that will allow the winner to experience it in a one-of-a-kind way.

The D-Camp contest provides one lucky winner and their guest with the opportunity to glamp (glamorous camping) for one night in luxury under the stars, as well as under the floating mountains at Pandora-The World of Avatar in the Animal Kingdom Park. The night of glamping includes a luxurious tent and custom curated experiences as you and your guest get to enjoy the magic of the park at night with VIP access. The winner of the contest receives the one-night glamping experience as a part of a 4-day/3-night Walt Disney World package that includes round-trip airfare and accommodations. The prize also includes 4-day Magic Your Way tickets with Park Hopper for the winner and his/her guest so that they can experience all that Walt Disney World has to offer as well as access to VIP Tour Guides, a $250 Disney gift card and a Memory Maker package that comes with unlimited Disney PhotoPass photos.

Now, that you are thoroughly sold, here's how you can enter to win this once-in-a-lifetime experience and enjoy the magic of Pandora. To enter the contest, all you have to do is go to the D-Camp Contest website and submit a video saying why you deserve an escape to your happy place at Walt Disney World. There are some specific rules about the format of the video that you can check out on the site but basically you just need to be creative and say why you deserve to win. Entries will be accepted until June 21st and if you win, you have to be able to travel for the prize from July 28th to July 31st of this year.

Short of discovery of a Pandora-like utopia and mastering faster-than-light travel, I can't think of a better way to cure some Avatar Blues than winning this contest. The best part of Avatar was the world-building, and Disney has by all accounts done a masterful job with capturing the majesty of Pandora at the Animal Kingdom Park. With enough money you can go to Walt Disney World and visit this park and pay for tour guides and such, but this glamping experience, getting to sleep next to the floating mountains and with the bioluminescence all around you is something you can't buy, making it truly special. I also get the impression that the VIP access might mean that you get to ride the rides when nobody else is there or hop to the front of the line with VIP access. Given the wait times for Avatar Flight of Passage, that would be a huge prize unto itself.

Those eager to have a new adventure in James Cameron's world of Pandora will finally be getting one soon-ish. Avatar 2, the sequel to the reigning box office king, is now shooting with an eye on a December 18, 2020 release date.

Disney Theme Parks are the sorts of places that can transport you and make you truly feel like you're truly somewhere else. This is the only thing that we can think that would make somebody believe it was acceptable to just start climbing the tree in the middle of Disney's Animal Kingdom. And yet, that's exactly what happened when several people apparently hopped off the path and began to try to scale the Tree of Life, check it out.

The Tree of Life sits at about the middle of Disney's Animal Kingdom Park and it is quite impressive. It's a massive artificial tree with hundreds of animal shapes and other images carved into its trunk. One can certainly understand the desire to get a closer look, but most people will limit themselves to the walking trail that takes you to its base. That wasn't good enough for four people who, over the weekend, hopped the fences and tried to climb the tree.

It's not clear exactly how far the four made it up the tree before they were apprehended by Disney World security. But apprehended they certainly were. It's also not clear what sort of punishment they received. It's possible they were let off with a stern warning, but more then likely, they were tossed from the park. The next question is, for how long? Disney will remove anybody they feel is being unduly disruptive and this certainly appears to be a valid case. They've also been known to ban people for life for the most significant violations. There's some anecdotal evidence that people who have decided to go for a swim in places like the Epcot lagoon or the moat around Cinderella's Castle have been banned for life, and this would seem to be a similar sort of situation. Hopefully, they enjoyed their time in the park a lot if they're never able to go back.

One really wonders what possesses people to do things like that. There's literally zero chance that you're not going to get busted by security. In my experience, Disney Parks have both security and medical personnel that literally hide in shadows and magically appear wherever they are needed. But even if that wasn't the case, these people were climbing a tree! There are only two directions to go and the higher you go up, the longer it takes to come down. Security could stop and eat a Mickey Mouse ice cream bar on the way and still be ready for you when you came down. If they just assumed they'd get yelled at or kicked out for the day, and they were cool with that, one wonders how they felt if the punishment was worse.

The ages of the four tree climbers is unknown, one assumes if they were climbing trees they were fairly young. That's a lot of decades of not being allowed at Disney World if they were banned for life. I mostly just feel bad for any kids who might exist who will have trouble going to Disney World again because dad isn't allowed on the premises.

Cover photo credit WDWNews.com/Disney

It's been seven years since Avatar was released, and the wait continues for Avatar 2 to hit theaters, which is now expected to be in late 2018. However, Pandora will be accessible to the public even earlier...in a way. It was announced in 2015 that an Avatar-themed area would be added to the Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in summer 2017, and in last month, we got our first look at one of the Na'vi residents. As a fun Christmas treat, a cool tour of the upcoming attraction has been uploaded, and it clearly blew director James Cameron's mind.

While not all of Pandora: The World of Avatar has been finished yet, a new video on the Disney Parks YouTube channel provides fans a first look at the attraction. Needless to say James Cameron, the man who created over 20 years ago and is directing these movies, was able to personally see the work being done, and it's safe to say he's impressed. The video combines peeks at the physical setting that's been built so far with concept artwork and clips from the 2009 movie, and the overall result is staggering. Joe Rohde, the Senior VP Creative at Walt Disney Imagineering, called the project, a "custom designed, complex, programmed piece of show equipment." In layman's terms, Disney isn't skimping to make this all look at realistic as possible, and the folks who came together to work on the attraction included digital design artists, structural engineers and robotics technicians.

Some of the highlights attendees can expect on the Avatar attraction include the Na'vi river journey, flying over the landscape of Pandora and walking underneath the jungle planet's mountains. While we won't know until how the final product will look for approximately another half year, this video does a goo job of demonstrating how immersive of an experience it will be. James Cameron even admitted that despite creating this mythology and knowing all the mechanics and engineering that went into the construction, he's amazed by how it's all come together. Of course, this is just one of many additions that are coming to the Disney Parks soon. Both the California and Florida branches are having a Star Wars Land installed, and Toy Story-themed areas will be added to both Hollywood Studios and the new Disney park in Shanghai, China.

As for the continuing Avatar cinematic experience, Avatar 2 is expected to arrive in theaters on December 21, 2018, and three more movies are set to follow in the years after. If you're eager to "explore" Pandora before then, start planning a trip to Disney World for next summer so you can be one of the attraction's first visitors.

Pretty much everybody gets annoyed by at least some commercials. Unless you're Don Draper or Sammy Jankis from Memento, chances are that you probably find yourself incredibly annoyed whenever your favorite show breaks to show a series of ads. It's why we buy DVR devices, and one of the reasons we love Netflix so much. However, TV networks seem to be catching on to the notion that we all dislike lengthy commercial breaks during our TV watching sessions, and Turner has begun to seriously cut them down as part of our viewing experience.

According to a new report out of the Television Critics Association summer press tour (via Adweek), it looks like TNT plans to continue to reduce the number of ads present during its original programming broadcasts by half. TNT and TBS President Kevin Reilly has confirmed decision that TNT will definitely uphold this idea for the foreseeable future and will extend the 50% ad reduction through at least 2017. In addition, Turner could potentially extend that decision to TBS by 2018 if the company continues to experience success with it.

There already seems to be a proven advantage to reducing the number of commercials in a given original broadcast. Kevin Reilly explained during the TCA event that cutting the number of ads during a show like Animal Kingdom has afforded them to add roughly ten extra minutes of content to the series. The lack of increase in substantive content seems welcomed by fans, as the series has experienced a quantifiable ratings bump in the process. Turner has tinkered with this idea over the course of the last six months on TNT, and the now-proven results have shown them that this method could work across other brands. It has allowed these networks -- once known for movies and syndicated TV series--to become a bigger player in original content.

While this decision could eventually mean fewer commercial breaks, for the time being it simply means that Turner will employee shorter breaks for ads. This has become possible due to Turner's increased use of "native advertising." This form of advertising is far less overt than typical commercial breaks, and is often embedded directly into a content platform as a means informing audiences of a given product or service. Native advertising has proven successful on shows like Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, and as such it could become a major source of ad revenue for Turner in the near future.

However, as exciting as this prospect is for network and viewers alike, Kevin Reilly makes it abundantly clear that this experiment needs to catch on with other networks in order for Turner to continue it. If other companies do not emulate this practice, there remains a distinct possibility that it could become untenable for Turner, and as such TNT and TBS will have to go back to its old method of standard commercial breaks. Let's hope that the new system catches on, as this seems like a brave new world for those of us who enjoy longer binges of uninterrupted television.

Make sure to check out our fall premiere schedule to learn more about all of the most highly anticipated fall TV debuts and mark your calendars accordingly.

When former Fox exec Kevin Reilly was brought in as the new Chief Creative Officer for TNT and sister network TBS, he made it clear that he wanted to make big changes to put these networks in contention with other more prestigious channels. That process began with some cancellations and the hunt for more exciting new series, and now TNT is going to completely change up how utilizes commercial breaks, with a plan to chop ad times in half for some of its primetime dramas. Now this is a TV trend that everyone could hopefully latch onto.

Somewhat unfortunately, TNT won’t be using this approach with any of its returning shows, so The Librarians and the final season of Rizzoli and Isles will still contain the average of 18-20 minutes of product hocking. But for the new dramas The Alienist, Good Behavior, and Animal Kingdom, audiences can likely expect to see only 8 or 9 minutes of ads sprinkled between the scenes. This will obviously change up when those breaks will come during the show, and Reilly is looking to experiment with how that plays out, by possibly using three-minute-long commercials and specific ad campaigns. Another step involves dealing with producers of Good Behavior and Animal Kingdom, as both shows have already shot their pilots with normal commercial breaks in mind.

The obvious question of “Well, why doesn’t everyone do this?” is followed by the obvious answer “Because ad money is everything,” and Reilly fully understands the huge risks. That’s just another part of the experimentation. Here’s what he told Deadline.

Avoiding ads is always a plus for viewers, so watching an extended Apple commercial instead of a bunch of longer random ads would be hard to argue against. Hulu supplemented its revolving door of lengthy and repeating ads with charging a fee for a commercial-free option. Obviously a network can’t copy that exact plan, at least not on linear TV, but one of the hopes here is that the shorter ad-time will draw in viewers for whom that is an important selling point, such as the people with that Hulu subscription.

Turner Broadcasting, TNT’s parent company, already put a plan like this into action when TruTV chopped its ad time in half last year. But this is obviously on an entirely different scale, as TNT has a larger audience that is faithful to both the primetime shows and the syndicated shows. You still the shit, though, Hack My Life.

Surely TNT bringing back a fan favorite series like Tales from the Crypt will draw a bigger crowd than the average new show, and if this commercial-tightening plan is more success than failure, we’ll get to see even “morgue” of each episode. That was my impression of the Cryptkeeper, everyone. What do you guys think of TNT’s plans for the future?

Three very high-profile films will be duking it out at the box office this weekend as The Expendables, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Eat Pray Love all fight for audience dollars, but the weekend's best film is actually one you may not have heard of yet. David Michod's directorial debut Animal Kingdom premiered to rave reviews at Sundance earlier this year, and this weekend it hits theaters in limited release. If you like crime stories or good movies in general, you shouldn't miss it.

In addition to strong direction and writing from Michod, Animal Kingdom boasts an incredible cast, from big-name Guy Pearce as a well-meaning police investigator to newcomer James Frecheville as J, a kid forced to live with his family of criminal uncles when his mother dies of a drug overdose. For me and many critics, though, there's no one in the cast better than Jacki Weaver, who plays the compliant grandmother Smurf who seems to only want what's best for her criminal sons, but holds a lot more power than she lets on. Weaver is a longtime veteran of Australian film and theater, but Animal Kingdom marks her first major film role in several years. She told me Michod sent her the Animal Kingdom script six years ago, and she was more than happy to take the leap of faith to work with a first-time director based on the power of his words.

Check out what she had to say about the real-life criminal masterminds who inspired her character, her work with 15-year-old first-time actor Frecheville, and why Smurf's habit of kissing her sons on the lips reveals a lot about her sordid past. Animal Kingdom opens this weekend in limited release, and if you want to know more check out Perri's interview with director Michod.

I know when you did interviews in Australia you were de-emphasizing the real-life inspirations for the character, but can you talk about those people and how they influenced your performance?

We were discouraging people in Australia from thinking it was about real people, but in fact it does mirror a few people. Most particularly one family who were career criminals, including the mother. But she's still with us. Kath Pettingill. She ran protection rackets, she ran brothels. She's only got one eye because an enemy shot the other eye out. Really bad stuff. I'm frankly a bit scared of her. She went on the radio and said, 'It's a fucking disgrace that everyone's making money out of my life except me.' Most of her sons are dead now. She had a lot of sons, 5 or 6 I think. A couple died in jail, one was murdered, another died of a heroin overdose.

So it's even rougher than what we see in the movie?

Yeah. If David wanted to tell her story he would have made a biopic or a documentary. He didn't want to be restricted to sticking to fact. If they'd asked me to play her and play her as she is, I'd have been thrilled. It wasn't that I was scared of doing an impersonation, but we didn't want to do it for this film. But this family, they were kind of having a feud with the police, like in Animal Kingdom. When one of their own was shot dead, because it was all reprisal, reprisal, on and on, two of the brothers did exactly what happens in the movie. They were just kids, they were rookie cops. David wrote a scene, and I think he shot it but did't include it in the movie, where you see a boy getting ready for work, and he could be anybody. His mother is saying, you're late for work, and he's using his father's razor, and he looks about 17. And the next shot you see him he's actually a cop.

That happens throughout the movie, where you get to know the innocent victims. You guys have been answering a lot of questions about glamorizing crime--

It does the opposite. A lot of the criticism of this [crime-focused] television show Underbelly, which is very popular, is that a lot of people fear that it's making celebrities of the crooks. A bit like The Sopranos.

When you looked into these criminal women, what did you take from them and what did you make up on your own in creating Smurf?

The temptation at first would have been to jump in and make her evil right from the off, play her as a bad woman and telegraph that right from the beginning. But the thing about sociopaths is that they're very clever. They know how to get round people, they've got no conscience, and they know how to behave in a way that's charming enough to fool people. David was so right about making me seem nice, and that's probably why he wanted me to play the role. I'm a nice middle-class girl in real life, and I'm a mom and a grandma, and I usually play sweet characters.

Why do you think that Smurf settles for putting the boys in charge, when she could be running the whole enterprise?

I think she has incredible power. I think the analogy with the pride of lions is pretty accurate. A lioness has got a lot more power than the lion likes to think she has. She's got a lot of power because she condones everything they do. She never disapproves. It's the true career criminal mindset. Whatever those boys want to do. She's obviously indulged them most of their lives. It's a bit yucky.

And the signature thing she does is bring everyone in for a kiss. Where did that come from?

That was David's idea. I've got to give him credit for that. It's a small gesture but it speaks volumes about their relationship. It's another measure of the power she has over these boys, that they don't object to the inappropriate intimacy she foists on them. She had these boys through different fathers, and they were obviously violent criminals themselves. What she's lacked in a proper adult relationship she's, in a way, substituting with the boys. I don't think there's incest there, [but] it's definitely inappropriate

What kind of background details did you establish with David about Smurf?

A lot of actors, whatever movie you're working on, you make up a back story just for your own, to work off, even if the audience doesn't have it revealed to them. I think it's important that the audience makes up their own mind. One of the favorite questions at Q&As is, 'What do you think happens at the end? I've got a few ideas of what might happen, but I think it's great that the audience makes up their own mind.

Did David seek you out for this?

He says he wrote it for me, which is very flattering. He sent it to me six years ago, and I thought it was such a good script.

What made you take the risk of working with a first-time director?

I judge everything by a script. If I think a script's good I'm always interested in doing it. Sometimes it's a gamble that pays off and sometimes not.

How was working with him as a first-time director?

It was fantastic. He had a great vision. He knew what he wanted, but he didn't behave like a puppeteer. A lot of directors want to storyboard you, whereas the best way to get a performance out of an actor is a collaborative process where you listen to the actor's input. A lot of young directors are too insecure to do that, but David was very collaborative. So some of our suggestions were incorporated, and some weren't.

What were the main things that you got out of the rehearsal process together?

We got familiar and bonded with each other, and got an idea of the mood of the thing and the relationships. I think that was very valuable, so you don't waste time on the set. You've got a fairly clear idea of how it should be done.L

Is it different going through that rehearsal process with a brand-new actor like James Frecheville?

I think it was good for him, because he's totally inexperienced. You've probably heard, David saw 500 kids for that role.

When you're working with him after your decades of experience, do you help him out or give him advice?

I didn't help him much. He's a very confident young man. I was only 15 when I started, but I was a lot more shy and insecure. He seems to know what he's on about.

With Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Eat Pray Love and The Expendables all hitting theaters this weekend David Michod’s Animal Kingdom has some serious competition. All three of those wide releases target different demographics. Scott Pilgrim will pull in the younger crowds, Eat Pray Love primarily woman and The Expendables all the guys craving action. However, Animal Kingdom can’t be assigned a specific category; it’s different and if you’re looking for something other than the typical summer blockbuster, it delivers big time.

Animal Kingdom is Michod’s very first feature film, but having gone to film school, written Hesher and directed a number of short films, he’s certainly no novice in the industry and it shows. The piece is about the Cody family, a family very well known in the Melbourne crime underworld. Pope (Ben Mendelsohn) is the oldest of three brothers, Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) falls in the middle and Darren (Luke Ford) is the youngest. Baz (Joel Edgerton) is Pope’s partner and practically part of the family. Their mother Smurf (Jackie Weaver) is always busy watching over them and even agrees add another to the clan when her young nephew’s (James Frencheville) mother passes away. But when the Cody legacy begins to crumble, they’ve all got to reevaluate where they stand and try to survive while J just has to figure out where he belongs in this jungle.

Michod first began working on this story right after he finished film school and the time he’s put into it really paid off. But the script isn’t the only thing that required a significant amount of attention; there isn’t one element of Animal Kingdom that isn’t clearly well thought out, making the final product extremely effective. Check out what Michod had to say about every aspect of the filmmaking process from developing the script to casting the Codys, all the way down to the editing process.

Animal Kingdom was one of the only jury prize winners I saw at Sundance, and quite possibly the best drama I saw at the festival. The Australian family crime saga was universally praised at the festival, and despite the dark subject matter and the lack of name-brand stars, it seemed almost guaranteed that the film would be picked up.

Sony Pictures Classics, it seems, is the studio to take up the challenge. In a press release today they announced their plans to distribute the film in North America, though no specific release date was mentioned. The official statement, attributed solely to "Sony Pictures Classics," said"There is nothing more exciting than the birth of a major filmmaker. David Michôd is about as major as they come. Just when you think you have seen every conceivable angle on the gangster movie along comes a movie like Animal Kingdom that is so fresh it feels like a reinvention of the genre. "

You can read my review of Animal Kingdom, which stars Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton and Guy Pearce, here. Fans of crime dramas, or of good movies in general, will be glad they seek this one out.

Americans may have created the perfect examples of the crime saga with The Godfather and The Sopranos, but Animal Kingdom proves that we don't have a lockdown on compelling gangsters. Even though it's about an unlikely family of armed robbers, Animal Kingdom turns into a strangely emotional and extremely dark story about family love and loyalties.

Not yet 18 and forced to live with his distant relatives when his mom dies of a heroin overdose, Joshua (stellar newcomer James Frecheville) has clearly seen a lot in his short life, and has learned the actions of teenage apathy and emotional distance simply to survive in a family perpetually wanted by the cops. Within days of moving in with his grandmother and uncles, a shocking tragedy prompts the homecoming of Pope (Ben Mendelsohn), the most unstable of Joshua's three criminal uncles. While Pope and his brothers plan revenge against the cops, Joshua's position in the family becomes uncomfortable to the point that a crusading cop (Guy Pearce) starts convincing him to rat out his family in exchange for protection.

The Animal Kingdom weaves through betrayal and suspicion in a way familiar to Godfather fans, but instead of a polished, close-knit Italian family, Joshua's family is poor and often desperate, squabbling amongst themselves and taking advantage of anyone they can to get what they want. Other directors have shown the miserable side of gangster life before, but director David Michod does it here with astonishing clarity and affection for his characters. Even though many are close to being monsters, Michod powerfully builds his world of distrust and fear to the point that we understand them.

Animal Kingdom is a slow burn, and could probably have been a little tighter within its two-hour running time, but every time the pace starts to flag there's something breathtaking to make up for it. In competition in the World Cinema category, Animal Kingdom is a strong contender to win the whole section-- and if Sundance serves any purpose, a distributor will snap it up to give everyone a look inside Michod's tightly controlled, heartbreaking world.

For more of our Sundance 2010 coverage, click here.