Light spoilers below for those who haven't watched the first couple of episodes of Peacock's Teacup, so be warned!

Halloween is a great time of year for networks and streaming services to showcase new horror TV shows , and Peacock is delivering a double dose of genre offerings via the satanic panic horror-comedy Hysteria and the "townspeople facing a unique and dangerous threat" sci-fi horror Teacup. It's a book-to-TV adaptation based in part on Robert R. McCammon's 1988 novel Stinger, and doesn't take long before its overarching threat is introduced, along with a mysterious gas-masked man who seems to know more than others about what's happening.

As it comes to be known, the deadly threat facing Grey's Anatomy heartthrob Scott Speedman and Dexter fave Yvonne Strahovski's Chenoweth family is not of Earthly origin. So even though this series is already known to be based in part on a pre-existing novel, it's probably not a surprise to learn that the all-time great horror movie sequel Aliens also played an inpirational role. Just probably not how you'd expect.

Speaking at a Q&A following Teacup's world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024, the cast members and creator Ian McCulloch addressed a question about their own personal horror fandom, and which projects may have been influential for this production. And it's here where the showrunner addressed how Aliens impacted the Peacock series' story, while first joking about his lack of interest in horror.

Just when you thought McCulloch might just also jokingly fall back on stating the obvious by saying, "Yeah, Aliens inspired my aliens," he lays out a legitimate alternate explanation that also serves as a good push to get someone to watch the show. Half-hour genre shows with propulsive plots and limited timelines? That's an extremely rare TV commodity, and is kind of the polar opposite of the entire Alien franchise as a whole.

Amusingly enough, Scott Speedman answered next, and joked as if he was only vaguely aware that a sequel to Ridley Scott's Alien existed.

• SCOTT SPEEDMAN: Aliens or Alien?
• IAN MCCULLOCH: Aliens.
• SPEEDMAN: Aliens. Cameron. I like The Shining a lot. I love Alien a lot, too.
• MCCULLOCH: You should see the second one.
• SPEEDMAN: Second one's good?
• MCCULLOCH: Yeah.

The story for these tortured Texan townspeople ratcheted up a notch or two in the third and fourth episodes, and I can only imagine how much worse things could get for everyone when the next two episodes drop. Here's hoping the pacing does indeed match up with the epic action of James Cameron's sequel.

Ian McCulloch also addressed that Teacup isn't just an Under the Dome retread, either, and there technically isn't a dome or a teacup barrier involved with this series, for the sake of not just retreading story ground. But I also can't imagine Stephen King would let anyone else adapt that book after the awful CBS series, which King himself also disliked.

New episodes of Teacup are available to stream every Thursday morning with a Peacock subscription. By the time the finale comes around, if Maggie and James end up taking off and nuking the area from orbit, it'll be clear they've gone way too far with the Aliens inpirations.

With more services being added regularly, the streaming wars are on. One of Hulu’s big hitters is the Emmy-winning dystopian drama The Handmaid’s Tale, which is currently in the midst of its fifth season. It’s been a big one for Yvonne Strahovski’s Serena Joy, although the actress recently explained why playing the complicated character sometimes makes her “feel dirty.” 

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 has been a wild ride, especially regarding June and Serena Joy’s unique relationship. Those with a Hulu subscription have been able to watch it all play out, including the horrifying scene where Yvonne Strahovski's character had her baby ripped from her arms. The Dexter alum recently spoke to People about embodying Serena, and got honest about the toll it can take. In her words,

That makes a great deal of sense. While being an actor means finding humanity in your character, Serena Joy has been one of the most villainous characters throughout The Handmaid’s Tale’s tenure on Hulu. So it understandably makes Yvonne Strahovski uncomfortable to have to defend her action, which include sexual assault and the assassination of congress. 

Yvonne Strahovski’s comments show what it’s really like working on a project like The Handmaid’s Tale, which deals with such horrifying and serious subject matter. While it is no doubt emotionally grueling to play a Handmaid, playing someone like Serena Joy also presents its challenges. Although you’d never tell from watching the series, as Strahovski has truly been killing it throughout Season 5, bringing new sides of her character to life.

While Serena Joy is an objectively terrible person, we’ve seen more of her vulnerability throughout the fifth season. This was especially true in the episode “No Man’s Land” which saw June helping her through childbirth. Serena even apologized for what she did to the women of Gilead/America, in a rare moment of clarity. And it should be fascinating to see how her continued conflict with the Wheelers continues to play out. 

With Season 5 of The Handmaid’s Tale nearly over, it feels like the end of the show is getting near. Season 6 will be the final season on Hulu, although a spinoff based on Margaret Atwood’s sequel novel The Testaments is in development. It’s unclear if any of the actors will appear, although the show does seem to be setting up Aunt Lydia’s plotline. 

The Handmaid’s Tale airs new episodes Wednesdays on Hulu. In the meantime, check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch. 

Spoilers ahead for the most recent episode of The Handmaid’s Tale, “No Man’s Land.”

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 has been a doozy so far, bringing those with a Hulu subscription back to the dystopian world of Gilead and writing off Alexis Bledel’s Emily in the process. Although plenty of action has actually occurred in Toronto and No Man’s Land, since so many characters have escaped the authoritarian society. Episode 7 was a capsule story for June and Serena Joy, and the Handmaid’s Tale writer has explained the “horror” of Mrs. Waterford’s cruel cliffhanger.

The latest Handmaid’s Tale episode “No Man’s Land” was written by Rachel Shukert, who was a newcomer to the writer’s room in Season 5, helping to further the story of returning characters and intriguing newcomers. In this episode we watched June help Serena Joy give birth, and the two women connect and reconcile in a way we’ve never seen before. But the other shoe drops when Yvonne Strahovski’s character was put into border security and had her baby Noah taken away shortly after becoming a mother. This was a chilling moment orchestrated by June’s husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle), and will no doubt greatly affect their relationship moving forward. Shukert spoke to TV Line about this horrifying moment of revenge, saying:

Talk about some serious consequences. Throughout most of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 June has been struggling to control her violent tendencies. And while her husband Luke had previously helped tether her to reality, he seems more and more invested in them getting their own justice. Unfortunately his move against Serena Joy came after June had some closure with her, and was a truly difficult scene to watch.

Rachel Shukert’s comments highlight the change we’ve seen in Luke throughout the last two seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale. And while he and June have been a united front and have found their spark again, Elisabeth Moss’ character may have negatively impacted her husband forever. And as a result, she and Luke did to Serena what Gilead did to them: took their child. And the results were truly chilling.

The Handmaid’s Tale is known for its terrifying and emotional sequences, but in Season 5 I’ve been perhaps the most scared of June herself. Indeed, there were multiple times in “No Man’s Land” where I was worried she’d harm Serena’s baby. But instead the protagonist found a way to actually find common ground with her former abuser, which made Serena’s fate and her cries for help all the more tragic.

While Serena Joy is usually a character that we love to hate, The Handmaid’s Tale once again found a way to turn her relationship with June on its head. The flashback to Gilead showed how they might have had a friendship, if they didn’t live in that cruel and unforgiving society. And in the process we also got to see the late Handmaids Alma and Brianna who were killed by a train last season when trying an escape attempt.

The Handmaid’s Tale has two more episodes this season, which air Wednesdays on Hulu. In the meantime, check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

Spoilers for Season 5 of The Handmaid's Tale can be found throughout this article.

The streaming wars have shown no signs of slowing down, and Hulu recently premiered Season 5 of its wildly popular (and former Emmys darling) dystopian drama The Handmaid’s Tale. The first two episodes were a doozy, including Alexis Bledel’s departure as Emily and the introduction of new characters like Nick’s wife Rose. There's another plotline that's brewing, and star/director/producer Elisabeth Moss recently revealed the deeper story behind “June versus Serena.”

Episode 2 of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 premiere ended with Commander Waterfords funeral being televised around the world. June and Luke (O-T Fagbenle) watch in horror as Serena parades their daughter Hannah out in front of the globe, leading to a tense stare-off across countries. Elisabeth Moss talked about this ongoing plot line between the women to THR, and revealed more behind that feud’s meaning. As she put it,

Talk about a compelling dynamic. Despite both Serena and June not actually residing in Gilead during Season 5 of The Handmaid’s Tale (which is available with a Hulu subscription) it’s clear how much the pair of women are still very connected to that violent society. And given their shared history and the recent munrder of Fred by the former Handmaids, it’s hard to imagine the stakes being very much higher.

While June finally killed Fred, the first two episodes of Season 5 made it clear that she only faced a temporary sense of relief. And when she didn’t actually suffer any legal consequences, there was another emotional reckoning. But just when it seemed like she was starting to enjoy her freedom in Toronto, Serena and Gilead brought her back to her trauma. Especially when Hannah’s face was broadcast in front of their eyes, with Serena smirking at the camera. But as Elisabeth Moss points out, the two women are truly at battle with themselves during this conflict. 

Later in that same piece by THR, Serena Joy actress Yvonne Strahovski helped to explain where her signature character’s head is during The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5. Obviously she’s pregnant and recently widowed, but the antagonist also does still have some power with the Waterford name. Strahovski addressed her sense of total fear and loneliness, saying:

It looks like Serena Joy has been backed into a corner, which has the potential to make her even more vengeful and calculating. Once again taunting June with her daughter is a tactic she used back in Season 2, and it’s just as devastating this time around. And who knows how June is going to get her revenge. There’s only two seasons left before the show ends forever, although there are plans for a sequel series.

The Handmaid’s Tale airs new episodes Wednesdays on Hulu. In the meantime, check out the fall premiere list to plan your next binge watch. 

If you do not recognize Yvonne Strahovski from her two-time Emmy nominated role as Serena Waterford in The Handmaid’s Tale cast, you might recognize her from the Dexter cast as Hannah McKay. Or, you might know her from her more sci-fi/action-oriented roles, like in the Tomorrow War cast or as Miranda Lawson in the popular Mass Effect video game series. In case you do not recognize the Australian-born actress at all, allow us to help you become more properly acquainted by recommending the following Yvonne Strahovski movies and TV shows, starting with her American television debut.

Chuck (Amazon Prime)

A meek tech expert (Zachary Levi) meets the woman of his dreams (Yvonne Strahovski), only to discover that she is actually a secret agent assigned to protect him after a data file containing all of the U.S. government’s most secretive information is accidentally downloaded into his brain, putting his life and the country in grave danger.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yvonne Strahovski: Yvonne Strahovski and her uncanny ability to hide her Aussie accent were first introduced to American audiences on the cult NBC action-comedy, Chuck as Sarah Walker, who is one of the highly skilled government agents assigned to protect the titular hero until they later become partners and lovers.

Stream Chuck on Amazon Prime.
Buy Chuck on Amazon.

The Guilt Trip (Hulu, Paramount+)

While on road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to make sales pitches to various business along the way, an organic chemistry expert (Seth Rogen) makes a quick stop to visit his mother (Academy Award winner Barbara Streisand) in New York, only to reluctantly take her on as a passenger for the rest of the journey.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yvonne Strahovski: In The Guilt Trip, a 2012 movie that is far more of comedy than an action spectacle, Yvonne Strahovski plays Jessica - the former high school sweetheart of Seth Rogen’s Andrew Brewster, whom his mother, Joyce, tries to set him back up with, only to learn she is now married to Colin Hanks’ (another Dexter cast alum) Rob and pregnant with his baby.

Stream The Guilt Trip on Hulu.
Stream The Guilt Trip on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy The Guilt Trip on Amazon.

Killer Elite (Amazon Rental)

A former, top-level assassin (Jason Statham) is called back into the game when his longtime, aging mentor (Academy Award winner Robert DeNiro) is held captive by a vengeful former Special Air Service operative (Academy Award nominee Clive Owen), setting off a deadly, globe-trotting cat-and-mouse game.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yvonne Strahovski: In Killer Elite, a 2011 movie loosely based on Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ fact-based book, The Feather Men, that is far more of an action spectacle than a comedy, Yvonne Strahovksi plays Anne - the former childhood acquaintance of Jason Statham’s Danny Bryce whom he retires to his native Australia to be with, only to be forced into protecting her when she becomes a target of enemy killers. 

Rent/Buy Killer Elite on Amazon.

The Tomorrow War (Amazon Prime)

As a last ditch effort to save humanity, a science teacher and family man with a military background (Chris Pratt) is enlisted, along with many other modern day combat veterans, into a battle against a swarm of unstoppable extra-terrestrial invaders 30 years in the future.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yvonne Strahovski: A film that sees Yvonne Strahovski rightfully given the chance to participate in the action as the futuristic Col. Muri Forester is The Tomorrow War, a sci-fi war movie from director Cris McKay that released exclusively on Amazon Prime in 2021, and boasts quite an alluring concept and a stellar ensemble cast, including Mary Lynn Rajskub.

Stream The Tomorrow War on Amazon Prime.

24: Live Another Day (Tubi)

Now a disgraced fugitive of the country he once raced against the clock while struggling to save it day after day, former special forces operative Jack Bauer (Emmy winner Kiefer Sutherland) comes out of hiding in order to stop a terrorist attack in London, only to come at odds with the CIA, which is only interesting in stopping him.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yvonne Strahovski: Seven years before starring alongside each other in The Tomorrow War, Yvonne Strahovski and Mary Lynn Rajskub played opposite ends of a conspiratorial power struggle at the center of 24: Live Another Day - a 12-episode revival of the acclaimed action drama series told in real time that serves as the ninth season, four years after Fox aired its initial season finale in 2010.

Stream 24: Live Another Day on Tubi.
Buy 24: Live Another Day on Amazon.

I, Frankenstein (Peacock)

More than two centuries after a notorious, controversial scientist gave him life, a walking compendium of various body parts stitched together (Aaron Eckhart) becomes embroiled in a war between angelic gargoyles and demons that has existed since the dawn of time, but is at risk of coming to a tragic end. 

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yvonne Strahovski: In the same year that she entered the 24 universe, Yvonne Strahovski became a part of the timeless lore first pioneered in 1818 by Mary Shelley, by starring in this adaptation of Kevin Grevioux’s digital graphic novel series, I, Frankenstein, as a scientist looking to bring Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s work into the modern age.

Stream I, Frankenstein on Peacock.
Rent/Buy I, Frankenstein on Amazon.

Batman: Bad Blood (HBO Max)

After Batman (Jason O’Mara) suddenly goes missing, Alfred (James Garrett) struggles to cover for Bruce Wayne’s absence while Damian “Robin” Wayne (Stuart Allen) and Dick “Nightwing” Grayson (former Firefly cast member Sean Maher) team up to find him and get some unexpected help from a few new vigilantes in Gotham City.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yvonne Strahovski: Two years after starring in I, Frankenstein, Yvonne Strahovski lent her voice to another comic book adaptation called Batman: Bad Blood - one of the few DC animated movies to have multiple members of the Batfamily fighting together - as one of the first screen portrayals of Kate Kane (better known as Batwoman) before the openly lesbian vigilante got her own live-action TV show . 

Stream Batman: Bad Blood on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Batman: Bad Blood on Amazon.

The Predator (Amazon Rental)

After bearing witness to proof of extra-terrestrial life after surviving an attack by a strange beast, U.S. Army Ranger sniper Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook) is discharged and placed within a group of former soldiers considered mentally unstable, whom he ends up leading in an effort to save humanity against the deadly intergalactic warriors. 

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yvonne Strahovski: In yet another sci-fi action thriller starring Yvonne Strahovski that does not see the actress as much as one might hope, she plays Quinn McKenna’s estranged wife, Emily, whose autistic son (Jacob Tremblay) becomes a key player in securing humanity’s fate against the titular creatures, in 2018’s The Predator - the fourth installment of the iconic franchise co-written and directed by series veteran Shane Black.

Rent/Buy The Predator on Amazon.

Stateless (Netflix)

The lives of a young flight attendant trying to outrun a dangerous cult (Yvonne Strahovski), an Afghan native fallen prey to racial profiling (Fayssal Baazi), a family man who feels trapped by a morally constraining career choice (Jai Courtney), and a bureaucrat struggling to find a way out of creating a national scandal (Asher Keddie) all intersect at an illegal immigration detention center in the Australian Outback.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yvonne Strahovski: Yvonne Strahovski gives one of the most powerful performances of her career in role that is loosely inspired by an actual person, in Stateless - a thought-provoking and timely miniseries released on Netflix exclusively to American audiences in 2020 that was co-created by Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett, who also stars in the six-episode program as well.

Stream Stateless on Netflix.

Dexter (Amazon Prime)

A blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro police department (Emmy and Golden Globe winner Michael C. Hall) lives a double life outside of the law as a deadly vigilante, guided by a special moral code taught to him by his adoptive father (James Remar) after taking notice of his homicidal tendencies at a young age.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yvonne Strahovski: In Season 7 of the hit Showtime series developed by James Manos Jr. and inspired by the series of novels by Jeff Lindsay, Yvonne Strahovski joined the cast of Dexter as Hannah McKay - a beautiful gardener with a suspicious past that initially makes her a target for Dexter Morgan, until he cannot help but fall in love with her.

Stream Dexter on Amazon Prime.
Buy Dexter on Amazon.

At the moment, it does not seem like there are any plans for Yvonne Strahovski to reprise her role Dexter: New Blood - the upcoming Season 9 revival of the series coming to Showtime on Sunday, November 7, 2021. Well, if the divisive series finale truly was the last we saw of Hannah McKay, at least it does not have to be the last you see of the talented actress by streaming (and/or buying or renting) some of the best highlights of her career, above.

Following a huge streaming debut for the Chris Pratt-led science fiction movie The Tomorrow War, it looks like the Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy star could have another franchise on his hands. With barely a week since the film’s release, there are reportedly discussions in the works about a second Tomorrow War movie led by Amazon Studios, Skydance and Paramount.

The creative team that brought the action movie about an apocalyptic alien war is apparently involved in continuing with The Tomorrow War 2, per Deadline. It has not yet been confirmed by the studio or those involved, but reportedly director Chris McKay, writer Zach Dean along with the main cast including Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, Betty Gilpin, Edwin Hodge, Sam Richardson and J.K. Simmons could be involved in continuing the franchise.

This past week, Chris Pratt has shared his pride for The Tomorrow War’s commercial success, calling it the “number one film in America.” The movie reportedly was seen by 2.41 million households during the Independence Day four-day weekend on Amazon Prime Video. It’s an impressive number and it’s not surprising that it could be enough to convince the executives behind the film to want to move forward with a second movie.

While The Tomorrow War was originally set to hit theaters in 2020, Amazon Studios bought the movie from Paramount for an alleged $200 million. The movie traded a box office debut for a massive streaming debut along with being warmly received by audiences – critics however did not love it, including CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes, who called it a “disastrous waste of time” in our review.

The Tomorrow War was Chris Pratt’s first executive producer credit on a feature film. Over on his Instagram, Pratt recorded a video message to fans of the film to thank them for watching the movie. He called the movie his “baby” as he shared his gratitude for its instant success:

The movie’s director Chris McKay has spoken about some potential ideas for The Tomorrow War prior to this report. He said this to ComicBook:

It certainly sounds like more Tomorrow War was already on their minds. The movie introduces an apocalyptic event which must be rewritten in order to no longer exist. As we know from movies like Back to the Future, Terminator or the MCU, timeline changes in movies don’t always end how its characters think it will and can spill a whole new set of problems one might not expect. It would be interesting to see Chris Pratt’s character and the rest of the cast reprise their roles following the movie’s ending.

What do you think? Would you like to see The Tomorrow War 2? Vote in our poll below and check out CinemaBlend’s interview with director Chris McKay on the ReelBlend podcast.

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The following contains spoilers for The Tomorrow War*_.*_

Perhaps considering that The Tomorrow War is a movie about time travel, it's not that weird that a movie that takes place largely at Christmas time opened in the middle of the summer. Of course, the film was delayed from its original holiday release in 2020, to become one of the big summer 2021 movies while also releasing on Amazon Prime Video rather than in theaters. However, while the screen may be smaller than intended, the action is not. The movie is as big a science fiction action blockbuster as we've seen recently, and everything about the film is just as big, and that includes The Tomorrow War ending.

Since Chris Pratt's The Tomorrow War is a time travel movie, in which humans from the future come back in time to recruit people to fight in a last ditch effort to save the entire world from an alien threat, it wouldn't be too surprising if things got a little confusing. Time travel tends to do that. And so, let's break down the ending of The Tomorrow War and what it all means to the future of humanity.

How The Tomorrow War Ends

The Tomorrow War follows Dan Forester (Chris Pratt) as he gets drafted into the future war against vicious aliens. While there, he meets his own daughter Muri, now all grown up (Yvonne Stahovski) and a colonel in the military, and he tries to help her find a way to destroy the aliens by discovering a toxin capable of killing them.

They are successful in finding a solution to the alien threat, and Dan is going to take the toxin back home so that it can be mass produced before the aliens actually arrive on earth, potentially preventing the entire war from ever happening. Unfortunately, the stakes are raised when Dan watches Muri die at the hands of the alien creatures before being sent home.

When Dan returns, the link to the future has closed, causing humanity to have a bit of a freak out. Nobody is quite sure what to do and concerns are focused on the here and now and not the future, so Dan tries to figure out where the aliens came from so humanity can be waiting with its killer toxin when they do. However, in trying to figure out exactly when the aliens arrive on earth, and thanks to a very helpful suggestion from his wife, Dan and his friends eventually discover that the aliens have been on earth all along.

Evidence is discovered that the alien threat landed on earth in the planet's distant past, and somehow became frozen in a glacier in Russia. Eventually, global warming will cause glacial melt to the point that the creatures will thaw out, and then the war will begin. Nobody in a position of authority is willing to support his plan so Dan enlists his estranged father (J.K. Simmons), because he has a plane, to help get them to Russia and check it out.

Eventually Dan and a small squad he met on his future deployment discover the alien spaceship. It crash landed on earth and was frozen over. More interestingly, it's discovered that the viscous aliens, the "white spikes" as they're called, are actually a biological weapon. They were bred by another alien race, apparently with the specific purpose of destroying life on other planets.

In the end, Dan's team blows up the alien ship, with many sacrificing themselves in the blast, but there are simply too many of the creatures to take out with the toxin they have. One female escapes the blast, and eventually Dan and his father are able to track it down and destroy it. The future appears to be saved and the aliens have been defeated.

What The Ending Means For Chris Pratt's Character And His Family

While the more immediate stakes of The Tomorrow War surround saving the human race from extinction, for Chris Pratt's character, it's ultimately about his family. His ultimate goal is to save his daughter's future, and if the rest of the world gets saved along with it, so be it.

Of course, things get a little interesting in that regard, when Dan Forester learns about his own future from his grown up daughter. The way time travel works in The Tomorrow War is that, despite having traveled to the future from his daughter's past, his adult daughter's memories are of an original timeline, what would have happened if the time travel had never occurred. In that timeline, we learn that Dan eventually divorced his wife and left his family, and ultimately died young in a car accident.

While we never learn the exact causes of Dan's decisions, the implication is that Dan feels he never accomplished the great things he felt he should have been able to do, that perhaps he saw himself as a failure. This idea is especially difficult for Dan to accept, because he cut ties with his own father after he also walked away from his family. His dad explains that at one point he was suffering from PTSD following the Vietnam War, and felt that leaving was preferable to staying and possibly doing something terrible.

Dan's victory against the aliens, something that did not happen in his daughter's original timeline, combined with his own knowledge of what he did in that timeline, have seemingly led him to a different place. Dan has reconciled with his own father, and he promises he will not leave his family. And, if Dan truly felt he needed to accomplish something great to have value, he's literally saved the world.

How Does The Tomorrow War Really End?

It looks like everything is about as close to "happily ever after" as they can get for Chris Pratt's character in The Tomorrow War. The war will never happen in the future. Muri Forester will, therefore, not die at the hands of the aliens. And, because the future will no longer progress as it did "originally," it's implied that Dan Forester will not leave his family in the future, so he will not die while his daughter is still a teenager.

Except we can't really know that for sure. Since we never really understand the circumstances of Dan leaving, we can't be sure that they still won't happen. What's more, the earth is still going to have to deal with having been involved in the future war, and all the lives that were lost, even though it won't be happening in the future. There's certainly no guarantee that Dan won't be dealing with his own PTSD after what he went through, which could make things difficult for his family.

In the end, not knowing what the future holds is perhaps all anybody can hope for. The worst possible future will not happen, and for the rest, maybe simply being aware of the possibilities will help prevent them from taking place.

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Since he (almost literally) skyrocketed to the A-list only some years less than a decade ago, Chris Pratt has gone on various adventures that have taken him in nearly every direction you could think of. So, naturally, the only place he has left to go is the future, which is exactly where he is going in The Tomorrow War - a sci-fi thriller (premiering exclusively on Amazon Prime Friday, July 2) about a group of modern-day military personnel (also including Yvonne Strahovski) transported through time to save humanity from an evil alien enemy. To find out who else has been drafted into this bizarre conflict, read on through this breakdown of who is playing who in (and where you might recognize them) the Tomorrow War cast, starting with the movie’s aforementioned main hero.

Chris Pratt (Dan Forester)

Pulling double duty as executive producer and top-billed lead of The Tomorrow War is one of America’s favorite’s leading men, Chris Pratt - who transitioned from sitcom star (as Andy Dwyer in the Parks and Recreation cast) to action star when he played Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. Since then, he has starred in three (soon to be five) other Marvel movies, two (soon to be three) Jurassic World movies, two LEGO movies, one Pixar movie (Onward), and a surprisingly good remake of The Magnificent Seven in 2016. It appears that the 42-year-old former Everwood cast member (which is how he met MCU actress Emily VanCamp) will soon revisit that western persona and add two other vastly disparate personas to his resume all at once when he stars in the long-awaited adaptation of A.J. Lieberman and Riley Rossmo’s graphic novel, Cowboy Ninja Viking.

Yvonne Strahovski (Col. Muri Forester)

This is not the first time that Yvonne Strahovski has faced off against otherworldly beings, having been a staple of the Mass Effect video game series since the second installment in 2010 and appearing in Shane Black’s The Predator in 2018. The Australian-born beauty also has had her fair of roles as ass-kicking women, from breaking out on the Chuck cast as CIA agent Sarah Walker to playing English CIA agent Kate Morgan on 24: Live Another Day, and also very troubled people, like the homicidal Hannah McKay on the Dexter cast or wrongfully incarcerated flight attendant Sophie Werner on the fact-based Netflix exclusive miniseries Stateless. Stahovski returned the role on the Handmaid’s Tale cast that earned her both a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination - Serena Waterford - for Season 4 of the hit Hulu drama in 2021.

Sam Richardson (Charlie)

This is also not the first time that comedian Sam Richardson has encountered threats of a bizarre kind - and in more than one genre, too - as a recurring cast member of the Netflix original sketch comedy series I Think You Should Leave and a series regular on M.O.D.O.K., which is one of the more unique Marvel TV shows exclusive to Hulu. The actor of Ghanaian descent would also pop up in small parts in TV shows like The Office and movies like Spy before joining the Veep cast made him one of the most promising and comedic talents of his time, but being a part of the Tomorrow War cast looks like the beginning of him transitioning into more serious projects, like the upcoming dramedy Shoot the Rooster. You will also be able to hear his voice as a currently undisclosed character on Harley Quinn Season 3 soon enough.

Betty Gilpin (Emmy Forester)

Before joining the Tomorrow War cast (not as a soldier, but as the wife of Chris Pratt’s character), Betty Gilpin was known primarily for kicking human butt, particularly on the GLOW cast as a female professional wrestling star in 1980s Los Angeles and in the controversial 2020 thriller The Hunt as one of several strangers randomly selected to be hunted for sport. The three-time Emmy-winning actress has also played a variety of other roles on the big and small screen, from sexually promiscuous doctor Carrie Roman on Showtime’s Nurse Jackie, a reproductive biology researcher on said network’s Masters of Sex, and the spirit of World War II-era nurse in the film Ghost Town from 2008. When not playing a medical professional, Gilpin has also played Rebel Wilson’s assistant and rival in the rom-com parody Isn’t It Romantic and a detective in the Netflix original comedy Coffee and Kareem in 2020, just to name a few.

J.K. Simmons (James Forester)

Before joining the Tomorrow War cast as the father of Chris Pratt’s character, J.K. Simmons found himself in another weird situation involving time in the hilarious Hulu exclusive rom-com Palm Springs in 2020 and other strange, fateful battles as part of the Invincible voice cast on Amazon Prime the following. The latter is also just the most recent of several times that the Oscar-winner (for 2014’s Whiplash) has played a comic book character after appearing as Peter Parer’s boss J. Jonah Jameson in several superhero movies (and counting) and also joining the DC movies as Commissioner James Gordon in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. You also might recognize Simmons’ voice as the Yellow M&M in the popular candy brand’s ads and will hear it again in the upcoming animated adventure Seal Team, which is expected to come out in January 2022.

Mary Lynn Rajskub (Norah)

The Tomorrow War will see Mary Lynn Rajskub reuniting with a few people in the cast, including Yvonne Strahovski from 24: Live Another Day (on which she reprised her role from the original hit series as Chloe O’Brian) and Sam Richardson (whose short-lived Comedy Central series Detroiters featured the actress in a guest appearance). Those two credits should be all you need to know to realize that the actress and comedian has done pretty much everything under the sun, from acclaimed cinematic dramedies like 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine to Bob Odenkirk and David Cross’ irreverent sketch comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David and its Netflix original reboot W/Bob and David in 2015. Rajskub will continue her penchant for variety with the upcoming films Please Baby Please and Blue Iguana.

Edwin Hodge (Dorian)

The Tomorrow War will also see a reunion between Chris Pratt and Edwin Hodge for the first time since the ‘80s-set comedy Take Me Home Tonight and marks the latest time that Edwin Hodge has played a soldier, such as on Six - the Navy Seal Team Six-inspired drama from A&E. The 36-year-old made his acting debut alongside his younger brother Aldis Hodge in 1995’s Die Hard with a Vengeance and would later go on to become a staple of the Purge movies, appear in the 2018 Transformers prequel Bumblebee, and land a recurring role on the Sons of Anarchy spin-off Mayans M.C. for FX. Hodge was also recently cast as former NBA player Ron Boone in an upcoming miniseries about the history Los Angeles Lakers for HBO.

Jasmine Matthews (Lt. Hart)

The Tomorrow War marks the feature film debut (and fifth acting credits overall) of Jasmine Matthews, who has already endured an impressive reputation on TV in her short career so far. Her first gig was a guest spot on the Blue Bloods cast before landing a part on the Paramount Network’s series adaptation of the 1989 coming-of-age dark comedy Heathers in 2018 and Starz’s coming-of-age drama Sweetbitter the same year. She would later earn a recurring role on the hit ABC cop show The Rookie and will appear in The Man from Toronto opposite Kevin Hart next.

Keith Powers (Major Greenwood)

Keith Powers also made his feature film debut with a big budget ensemble piece in the form of 2015’s NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton before being cast in a recurring spot on the MTV comedy Faking It, which led to more popular movies like Before I Fall in 2017 and more buzz worthy TV shows like the thriller What/If (not to be confused with Marvel’s Disney+ series What If…?) on Netflix. After appearing in The Tomorrow War, Powers has romantic dramas On Our Way and The Perfect Find lined up next.

Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Young Muri Forester)

I would call The Tomorrow War a big break for 11-year-old Ryan Kiera Armstrong (who plays Chris Pratt’s daughter) if she had not already been in so many huge titles of the big screen such as It: Chapter Two (one of the most successful horror movies of 2019), The Glorias (in which she played a young Gloria Steinem), and the Netflix original series Anne with an “E.” She will soon be appearing on American Horror Story Season 10, has a role in the long-awaited Marvel movie Black Widow, is now filming Firestarter - a new adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel.

Well, it appears that the aliens threatening the world’s future in The Tomorrow War have some fierce competition to face with a cast of heavy-hitters like these actors. We shall see for sure when the sci-fi thriller from director Chris McKay premieres on Amazon Prime Video Friday, July 2, 2021.

Major spoilers ahead for the Season 4 finale of The Handmaid's Tale. Look no further if you haven't watched it!

Hulu's mega hit series The Handmaid's Tale finally returned for Season 4 after an extended wait. Fans were eager to return to the horrors of Gilead, and this season certainly pulled no punches. A number of major characters were killed off throughout the course of this year, and the season finale "The Wilderness" followed suit with a series regular that's been there from the very beginning. That's right, after all this time the villainous Fred Waterford played by Joseph Fiennes has gotten his just desserts. And it seems like it's a plot twist that's going to send shockwaves through The Handmaid's Tale universe. Let's break it all down.

What Happened In The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 Finale?

Season 4 of The Handmaid's Tale shocked us all when Elisabeth Moss' June finally made it to safety in Canada-- largely thanks to Moira. But that hasn't stopped the series from being emotionally grueling, and putting June and the other women through all sorts of emotional hardships. While the protagonist of The Handmaid's Tale is no longer in physical danger in Gilead, she's been recounting the pain and attempting to deal with her immense trauma. And after going through the legal way of advocating for herself and other women, June quickly started turning to more extreme measures. After all, she's not the same woman she was ahead of her capture.

Upon learning that Fred Waterford was going to be set free in Genova as a result of complying with the Canadian government, June takes matters into her own hands with the help of Nick (Max Minghella) and Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford). A deal is struck to free a number of women from Gilead in exchange for Waterford, since the Commander was spilling all the beans in his new plea deal. But rather than going through the horrifying courts of the totalitarian society, instead Nick and The Eyes transport Waterford to no-mans land for a terrifying final sequence.

As Emily and June discussed, they wanted Fred to be scared to death. That's exactly what they got, as a mass of women emerged from the darkness to chase down Waterford. Elisabeth Moss' character got the first punch (and bite), but the mob of women all joined in on beating him to death and presumably ripping him apart. They send Serena Joy his ring finger, while June returns home and picks up baby Nicole while covered in Fred's blood. At that moment Luke walks in, and is horrified to see the murderer in front of him, especially while holding their baby. And just like that Season 4 of The Handmaid's Tale came to a chilling end.

How Does Joseph Fiennes Feel About Fred's Fate In The Handmaid's Tale?

Fred's death in The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 marks the end of what has been the main antagonist of the acclaimed Hulu series. Joseph Fiennes played Commander Waterford to pitch perfection, pivoting between slimy and cruel throughout the course of the show. But after 36 episodes, his story has seemingly come to an end-- excluding any possible flashbacks.

The final scene in the woods is gripping, as Fred Waterford truly looks scared for his life before eventually being killed via the no man's land Salvaging. But how was filming this final scene for Joseph Fiennes, and how does he feel about ending his series regular run on The Handmaid's Tale? Showrunner Bruce Miller recently revealed this in an interview with EW, saying:

Well, that you have it. Despite playing one of the worst characters in The Handmaid's Tale, Joseph Fiennes seems like a class act in real life. And while some of the fear in his performance came from worries about falling when running full speed in the woods at night, he seems to have handled his onscreen death well. And while Fred might be nothing but pieces at this point, his influence will no doubt be felt moving forward. Let's just hope that Fiennes gets to return in a guest appearance; The Handmaid's Tale is known for using flashbacks to flesh out its characters.

How Will The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 Finale Affect Characters Next Season?

Fred Waterford's death in The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 finale is sure to effect pretty much the entire cast when it returns to Hulu next season. June seems to think that she might have to leave or get on the run for her part in murdering The Commander. That remains to be seen, but it certainly seems like her relationship with Luke is going to be forever changed. His look of horror said it all, and I have to wonder if their marriage is finally over at this point.

Alexis Bledel's Emily participated in Fred Waterford's death in The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 finale as well, further proving that the character's lust for violence and revenge hasn't been quenched since spending time in safety in Canada. I'm eager to see how this character continues to change, and how this latest violent act possibly affects her relationship to her wife Sylvia. Syl wasn't physically seen on screen this season (probably because Clea Duvall couldn't travel to film during the pandemic), but Emily revealed that she's still not having an easy time connecting with her partner after all this time.

Of course, the character who is going to likely be the most affected by Fred's death is Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski). The father of her baby is now dead, possibly along with their deal for safety and freedom in Genova. Knowing how much Serena hates losing, smart money says that she'll be out for blood when The Handmaid's Tale returns for Season 5. In the same interview Bruce Miller spoke about this upcoming dynamic of the series, saying:

Clearly there are plenty more narrative threads to pull from for The Handmaid's Tale Season 5, which is likely going to be majorly affected by the events of the Season 4 finale. While fans were delighted to see justice finally served when it comes to Jose Fiennes' Fred Waterford, his death has the potential to open new narrative doors. Hopefully next season won't be delayed, and we'll get our answers sooner rather than later.

The Handmaid's Tale is currently available in its entirety on Hulu. Be sure to check out the summer premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

It is rare for a TV show to be carried, mostly, by a group of highly acclaimed and relatively well-known performers, which makes The Handmaid’s Tale cast a one-in-a-million kind of ensemble. Led by Golden Globe and Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss, the cast has effectively elevated the material first imagined by Margaret Atwood in her 1985 dystopian social commentary to astounding heights on the Hulu original hit that the author has approved as a top-notch adaptation, especially one made into a TV series.

Now, in honor of the premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, which you should have already noted in your personal list of 2021 TV premiere dates to remember, we take a look at the actors who have helped make this show the emotionally-investing, thought-provoking, and potentially world-changing success. The following is a retrospective on what these brilliant performers were up to before the show made them bigger than ever, starting with the fearless series lead.

Elisabeth Moss (June Osborne)

You could say Elisabeth Moss’ Golden Globe-nominated breakout role as Peggy Olson in the Mad Men cast was a fitting prelude to the patriarchal society she would be forced to navigate in Gilead. Earlier in her long career (which began when she was 8), Moss had a recurring role on the bizarre CBS crime drama Picket Fences, played schizophrenic burn victim Polly in Girl, Interrupted, and starred opposite her future The Handmaid’s Tale co-star Bradley Whitford from the West Wing cast as the youngest First Daughter, Zoey Bartlet. The 38-year-old LA native has become a bit of a Scream Queen, too, as a memorable supporting character in Us and the lead of 2020’s The Invisible Man remake, in addition to the horrifying circumstances she has endured as June Osborne.

Joseph Fiennes (Fred Waterford)

The man responsible for much of that cruelty is Commander Fred Waterford, played by Joseph Fiennes, who, like his brother - Harry Potter’s Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes - is a theatre-trained thespian, which translated well when playing the title role of the Oscar-winning Shakespeare in Love in 1998. The 50-year-old Englishman’s first time as a TV staple was on ABC’s short-lived, but well-received, sci-fi mystery Flashforward, before joining the cast of American Horror Story: Asylum, and infamously playing Michael Jackson in a controversial unaired episode of the anthology series Urban Myths. Other literary adaptations in Fiennes filmgraphy outside of the The Handmaid’s Tale include 2004’s The Merchant of Venice, a 2006 film based on Augusten Burroughs’ memoir Running with Scissors, and more recently voicing Sheriff Nottingham in the YouTube original animated miniseries Sherwood in 2019.

Yvonne Strahovski (Serena Joy Waterford)

Receiving a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination for playing the Commander’s wife Serena Joy Waterford on The Handmaid’s Tale is the Australian-born Yvonne Strahovski, who became an instant sensation in the States when she played CIA agent Sarah Walker on Chuck for NBC. Following that action-comedy hit, she joined the Dexter cast as a fellow serial killer with whom Michael C. Hall’s title character becomes romantically involved. The actress and model is also known for lending her voice to the Mass Effect video game series, appearing in Shane Black’s 2018 sequel The Predator, and her acclaimed performance in the Netflix original miniseries Stateside in 2020.

O-T Fagbenle (Luke Bankole)

Playing Luke Bankole, June Osborne’s husband and father to their daughter, Hannah, is O-T Fagbenle, who wears a lot of hats in the entertainment industry when he is not on the set of The Handmaid’s Tale. You may recognize his face from HBO’s short-lived romantic dramedy, Looking, or his voice as “Calico” Jack Rackham in the Assassin’s Creed video games, but may not realize that he is the creator, producer, composer, and director on some episodes of his own satirical comedy series Maxxx, in which he also plays the title role. His abbreviated Nigerian name will surely become even better known when he appears in the Black Widow cast (possibly as Marvel villain Taskmaster) and as Barack Obama in the historical miniseries anthology The First Lady for Showtime.

Ann Dowd (Aunt Lydia Clements)

Also playing a United States president in an upcoming TV movie called The President is Missing is Ann Dowd - yet another The Handmaid’s Tale cast member who has received a Golden Globe nomination, in her case, for playing Aunt Lydia Clements, a character who has a few things in common with the oppressive cult leader she played on the bizarre, dystopian HBO series The Leftovers for three seasons. The 65-year-old actress has a stellar 30-plus-year career that includes one of the best Tom Hanks movies, Philadelphia, but she really began to become more prominent in more recent years, starring in recurring roles on series like Masters of Sex, Oscar-nominated hidden gems like Captain Fantastic, or Ari Aster’s masterful horror movie debut Hereditary in 2018. Dowd also recently appeared in the Netflix’s adaptation of Rebecca and joined the cast of the dark comedy series Search Party in 2021.

Amanda Brugel (Rita)

Yet another The Handmaid’s Tale star we could call a Scream Queen is Amanda Brugel, who made her feature film debut in Jason X, which sees the Friday the 13th movies villain go to space, in 2001. The Canada native would later go on to land some particularly small roles in otherwise big movies, such as a police officer in Room from 2015 and a National Security Councilwoman in 2016’s Suicide Squad before she was cast as former Martha turned Gilead escapee Rita. Brugel has also starred on additional TV shows during her Handmaid’s Tale run, including the Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience and the series adaptation of Snowpiercer on TNT.

Madeline Brewer (Janine Lindo)

Another The Handmaid’s Tale star I would even more confidently give the Scream Queen title to is Madeline Brewer, known for three Netflix original horror titles, including the lycanthropic cult series Hemlock Grove, one of the best Black Mirror episodes (“Men Against Fire”), and 2015’s Cam, in which she plays an internet model who discovers she has a doppelgänger. She can also thank the streaming platform for giving the New Jersey-born actress her first break as part of the the Orange is the New Black cast, but she is not the only Handmaid’s Tale cast member who is also an alum of the hit prison-set dramedy.

Samira Wiley (Moira Strand)

Before winning an Emmy for playing Moira Strand on The Handmaid’s Tale, Samira Wiley won three Screen Actors Guild Awards in the Outstanding Comedy Series Ensemble category for Orange is the New Black, on which she played Litchfield inmate Poussey Washington. Earlier, the openly gay Juilliard graduate made her film debut in the 2011 Jonah Hill comedy The Sitter before playing a therapist to The Boys’ Aya Cash on the FX rom-com You’re the Worst, a cop on YouTube’s meta sitcom Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes On Television, and a small pat in Kathryn Bigelow’s powerful crime biopic Detroit in 2017.

Max Minghella (Nick Blaine)

Max Minghella actually has an interesting connection to his The Handmaid’s Tale co-star O-T Fagbenle, who made his film debut in 2006’s Breaking and Entering, which was directed by late Oscar-winning filmmaker Anthony Minghella, who was Max’s father. Minghella also debuted in one of his dad’s most famous movies, The Talented Mr. Ripley, before eventually becoming a more prominent talent in acclaimed films like The Social Network in 2010 and The Ides of March the following year, as well as the horror thriller Horns in 2013 and Mindy Kaling’s hit comedy The Mindy Project, of which he appeared in eight episodes. Minghella, who made his directorial debut in 2018 with the Elle Fanning-led drama Teen Spirit, also stars in Spiral: From the Book of Saw opposite Chris Rock.

Alexis Bledel (Emily Malek)

Alexis Bledel crossed paths with Elisabeth Moss during her three-episode stint on Mad Men before she was cast in the Emmy-winning role of Emily Malek on The Handmaid’s Tale. The 39-year-old became an instant household name as Rory in the Gilmore Girls cast before starring in other book-to-screen adaptations like Disney’s meditation on immortality Tuck Everlasting, Frank Miller’s inventive noir masterpiece Sin City, and the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies, of which a third installment has been announced.

Bradley Whitford (Joseph Lawrence)

I have no doubt that three-time Emmy-winner Bradley Whitford has crossed paths with most of his Handmaid’s Tale co-stars several times prior over the course of his 30-plus year career, which of course includes being a series regular on the West Wing cast, followed by Aaron Sorkin’s short-lived Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, the short-lived cop dramedy The Good Guys, and plenty more notable TV credits. The now 61-year-old is probably the best known Scream King of the Handmaid’s Tale cast having starred in the brilliant horror satire The Cabin in the Woods, Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning debut Get Out, and 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, if you want to count that. In 2020, he starred in the Covid-19 inspired drama Songbird and will play Stephen Sondheim in tick, tick…Boom! - one of the upcoming 2021 Netflix movies to look forward to.

Sam Jaeger (Mark Tuello)

To prove my earlier point about the prolific nature of Bradley Whitford, Sam Jaeger did guest star on The West Wing early in his career before playing the real Nick Fisher in Lucky Number Slevin, joining the Parenthood cast as Joel Graham, and starring on ABC’s historical LGBTQ+ miniseries When We Rise to name a few. This year, he is becoming a series regular on The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 and will appear in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, an upcoming Jessica Chastain movie, as the titular televangelist’s second husband, Roe Messner.

It looks like The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 is bound to be a memorable new chapter to the story by the cast alone. However, is there a series regular you are especially excited to see return to the Hulu exclusive hit drama?

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No one could have imagined any reason to root for a serial murderer until Michael C. Hall played one with an unprecedented heroic charm on one of the most killer original series from Showtime. Of course, even bloodthirsty sociopaths are nothing without the company they keep and rest of the stellar cast members from Dexter were definitely worth keep around, even if not all their characters managed to survive.

Developed by former The Sopranos writer James Manos Jr., Dexter is based on a series of novels told from the point of view of a forensic analyst who spends his spare time using his homicidal tendencies as a force for good, butchering the worst criminals imaginable. The dark drama, which lasted eight seasons from 2006 to 2013, sees Dexter struggle to keep his second life as one of Miami’s most prolific killers a secret from his family, his colleagues in law enforcement, and the despicable personalities he targets (until they become his prey, that is).

Whether or not you particularly enjoyed the controversial series finale, it is hard to deny that the show was home to some criminally good performances throughout. So, where has the Dexter cast of lent its talents to since? Find out here in this career update of the following 11 actors behind some of the most memorable roles on Dexter.

Michael C. Hall (Dexter Morgan)

Following up his Emmy-nominated role on Six Feet Under, Michael C. Hall landed the title role of Dexter, for which he won a Golden Globe in 2010, and seems to have been active to outgrow the character ever since. His first big acting effort after the seres' end was as the lead of the 2014 Broadway run of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and followed by notable big screen appearances, like Game Night, and a few projects for Netflix, namely the feature-length In the Shadow of the Moon and miniseries Safe. 

His next big TV role is post-World War II crime drama Shadowplay and, in an intriguing role reversal, he will play victim in the thriller John and the Hole, which has no set theatrical release yet.

Jennifer Carpenter (Debra Morgan)

Best known for playing this Miami homicide detective, Jennifer Carpenter also had a real relationship with Michael C. Hall that ended in amicable divorce while playing adoptive siblings (even though Debra's admission to having romantic feelings for Dexter made it not such a stretch after all). Outside frequent collaborations with Brawl in Cell Block 99 director S. Craig Zahler, the 40-year-old actress' best known work since Dexter has also been on the small screen, such as upgrading to the FBI for Limitless on CBS and downgrading to a traitorous former CIA agent on NBC's short-lived The Enemy Within. She more recently lent her voice to an animated Mortal Kombat movie her upcoming drama A Mouthful of Air is expected for 2021.

James Remar (Harry Morgan)

Playing one of the more unusual characters in the series was James Remar as Harry Morgan, a detective who inspired his adoptive son, Dexter, to use his homicidal tendencies for good at a young age before becoming his "conscience" of sorts after death. The 66-year-old veteran actor has continued turn in stellar performances of a wonderful variety, including voicing Tonraq on The Legend of Korra, a cast member from Bounty Law in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, and an ally to the titular hero of Arrow spin-off Black Lightning.

David Zayas (Angel Batista)

Quickly after retiring his role as detective turned lieutenant Angel Batista on Dexter, David Zayas did a 180 as Sal Maroni, one of the Batman's most notorious mob enemies, on Fox's Gotham. However, the Puerto Rican actor would go back to playing good guys more frequently not long after, such as on the Netflix original crime drama Bloodline and in a few of the several gigs he has lined up, including Eli Moran, in which he plays a coach and mentor to a young basketball prodigy.

Julie Benz (Rita Bennett)

The series would also became a romantic tragedy thanks to Julie Benz, whose stint as the Dexter's wife, and the mother of his child, Rita, ended with her character's murder in Season 4. Ironically, one of her first notable post-Dexter roles was as Patrick Wilson's dead wife in medical drama A Gifted Man, followed by playing mayor to a post-apocalyptic society in the Syfy original series Defiance, a police inspector in Hawaii Five-0, and other TV roles that were, indeed, "defiant" to her past efforts. Benz most recently returned to Showtime in a recurring role opposite Kirsten Dunst on the '90s-set comedy On Becoming a God in Central Florida.

C.S. Lee (Vince Masuka)

The sex-obsessed Vince Masuka, played by South Korean-born C.S. Lee, was also one of the greatest threats to Dexer's secret life, being the very accomplished and very clever lead forensic investigator at Miami Metro. He would play a similarly threatening (but far more difficult to get along with) version of that character on Chuck, who leans a bit more in the opposite direction of the adulterous recovering alcoholic he played on Season 4 of Chicago Med. Also known for playing a state attorney in Season 2 of True Detective, Lee's most likable role to date may also be his most recent performance as a priest in the Netflix original coming-of-age drama All Together Now, which also stars Moana's Auli'i Cravalho.

Luna Lauren Velez (Maria LaGuerta)

Speaking of unlikable people, Maria LaGuerta's job may be upholding the law, but her true role is one of Dexter's main antagonists - a persona that actress Luna Lauren Velez would, thankfully, not have to repeat for her recurring spot on How to Get Away with Murder or in the Academy Award-winning animated comic book movie masterpiece Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, in which she voiced the role of Miles Morales' mother, Rio. In addition to landing a role in 2018's The First Purge, Velez returned to playing a cop in the pilot for a reboot of the '90s crime drama New York Undercover, which has yet to be picked up, and also plays a police captain in the upcoming TV movie Murder opposite Michael Chiklis.

Desmond Harrington (Joey Quinn)

Prior to and since playing Detective Joseph Quinn, Desmond Harrington has led a career of great variety, especially on the small screen, which has seen him reunite with several of his Dexter co-stars - including Jennifer Carpenter on Limitless and C.S. Lee on Sneaky Pete. More recently, the star of Nicolas Winding Refn's 2016 thriller The Neon Demon played FBI Head Louis Freeh on the second season of Manhunt, a retelling of the same story that inspired Clint Eastwood's Richard Jewell, and will play prolific novelist Jack Kerouac in the John Kennedy Toole biopic Butterfly in the Typewriter, which is currently in pre-production.

Erik King (James Doakes)

While certainly not a bad guy, Sgt. James Doakes (portrayed unforgettably by Erik King) could be appropriately referred to as an enemy to Dexter Morgan and was even the first character on the series to identify him as The Bay Harbor Butcher. The actor would take on a whole different profession in his recurring role on the fourth season of brutal Cinemax crime drama Banshee and would pull another 180 playing a church pastor on yet another crime thriller, the 50 Cent-produced Crackle original The Oath, which also stars Sean Bean. He also appeared in the 2018 music drama Vox Lux, opposite Natalie Portman, and more recently scored a recurring role on CBS All Access exclusive The Good Wife spin-off, The Good Fight.

Yvonne Strahovski (Hannah McKay)

Also known for pulling a few 180's in her day is Yvonne Strahovski, best known as secret agent Sarah Walker on Chuck and the voice of Miranda Lawson in the Mass Effect games before joining the cast of Dexter in Season 7 as Hannah McKay, a fellow sociopathic murderer whom Dexter falls for. The Australian model and actress would go on to play a cult escapee in the Netflix original miniseries Stateless following her Emmy-nominated turn as Serena Joy Waterford in The Handmaid's Tale. She will next join Chris Pratt and Betty Gilpin in the futuristic combat thriller The Tomorrow War, which is expected to release in 2021.

John Lithgow (Arthur Mitchell)

Those who might have doubted that John Lithgow could give an Emmy-winning performance as the Trinity Killer on Dexter must have forgotten about his sinister roles in Cliffhanger and Raising Cain. With the exception of his charming role as struggling attorney Elias Jonathan on HBO's revamp of Perry Mason, the former Third Rock from the Sun star has been leaning into that sinister side much more frequently, from helping a desperate father raise hell in the 2019 Pet Sematary remake to playing disgraced former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes in Bombshell. Lithgow is continuing that streak with the upcoming FX crime miniseries The Old Man.

What do you think? Have we covered all of your favorites actors from Dexter, or did you want to hear more about Jadon Wells (who played Dexter’s son Harrison Morgan in Season 8) and the CrossFit videos he is known for these days? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional news related to the hit crime drama, as well as even more updates on the cast members from your favorite movies and TV shows, here on CinemaBlend.

There are a few different types of people who would call themselves Yvonne Strahovski fans. There are those who first started crushing on her as secret agent Sarah Walker on Chuck, or those who love to hate her as Serena Waterford on The Handmaid’s Tale, or those who love to prevent alien invasions with her as Miranda Lawson in the second and third Mass Effect video games.

However, those are just a few of the more notable characters she has played in her career, none of which are a reflection of her true self. In fact, how can you truly call yourself a fan of the actress if you can only identify her by the fictional people she has portrayed?

Fortunately, there is need to worry as we have you covered with just enough that you need to properly earn your Yvonne Strahovski fan card. The following are six trivial facts about the actress, who will next be seen in the upcoming sci-fi action flick The Tomorrow War, that you may not have known about her before.

Australian-born Yvonne Strahovski’s First Language Was Polish

It may catch some people off guard to hear Yvonne Strahovski speaking in an Australian accent during interview appearances due to how well the actress, who was born in Marouba, Sydney, is able to hide it in most of her onscreen performances. It is even more surprising to learn that English was not even her first language, just as it was to Carson Daly when he asked her if she could speak Polish on his late night show Last Call. 

She originally spent much of her childhood speaking the native tongue her parents, who immigrated to Australia from Poland, while growing up and was able to show off her bilingualism as a skill she also shares with her character Sarah Walker when the writers of Chuck added it into series later on.

Yvonne Strahovski Was Cast In Chuck Just Days After Coming To America

Speaking of the cult action comedy series, Chuck was Yvonne Strahovski's American acting debut: a goal that actually took a shorter time to achieve than it typically does for most actors born in the U.S. The actress explained to Sam Rubin on KTLA how she sent NBC clips of her work in Australia, including her acting debut in comedy fantasy series Double the Fist and major role on soap opera Headland, prior to her Los Angeles move. They had apparently already viewed her portfolio by then because, just three days after her arrival, she scored the part of tough-as-nails CIA operative, and love interest of the threatened title character (played by Zachary Levi), Sarah Walker.

Yvonne Strahovski Was Suggested She Change Her Name To “Yvonne Stryker”

In addition to being, arguably, her best known role to date, Sarah Walker may also be the name that Yvonne Strahovski is most often associated with because her fans are not sure how to say her real name. The actress actually revealed in an interview with GQ that the true spelling of her Polish last name is "Strzechowski," but she changed it from the "mouthful of letters" it is to phonetically match its correct pronunciation. She certainly prefers that to the alternative alias someone had suggested to her when she first came to Hollywood: "Yvonne Stryker," which Strahovski told Paul F. Tompkins on web-based talk show Speakeasy sounded similar to a porn star with the same last name.

Motherhood Inspired Yvonne Strahovski’s Performance In Season 3 Of The Handmaid’s Tale

A self-proclaimed tomboy, Yvonne Strahovski probably identifies more with Sarah Walker than her Emmy and Golden-Globe nominated role as Serena Waterford in The Handmaid's Tale. Ironically, during her second season of playing the infertile wife, she became pregnant with her first child and initially attempted to separate that from her performance, until it became the perfect inspiration for her character's arc in Season 3. 

Strahovski recalled to Variety how she drew parallels from her own motherly instincts to Serena's covetous relationship with June Osborne's (Elisabeth Moss) biological daughter, Nichole, adding, "When you’re so emotionally invested in a child, and you really believe it is your child as Serena does, you will do anything."

Yvonne Strahovski Did Not Expect To Survive Season 8 Of Dexter

Another Yvonne Strahovski character with experience in adoptive motherhood, and more empathetic than Serena, is Hannah McKay, despite the fact that she, like her boyfriend Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), is a serial murderer. 

The actress appeared on the killer, Emmy-winning drama Dexter in Season 7 and became a series regular for its following final run of episodes, which was a most surprising turn of events for her. Strahovski revealed to Digital Spy that surviving her guest spot was flattering enough, but she never expected to play such a crucial part in the series known for killing off so many characters, assuming she would have become of a victim herself at some point.

Evidence Of Yvonne Strahovski’s Former Nose Ring Is Still Visible

Based on all that we have learned about Yvonne Strahvoski thus far, it is safe to assume that she has little to no trouble with being candid about herself to the public. Perhaps this is because she accepts that, sometimes, there will be secrets you just cannot keep hidden, such as facial piercings. When TV Guide asked the actress if she had ever gotten a tattoo before, she had this to say:

Well, looks like there's a new game that fans can play next time they watch Yvonne Strahvoski onscreen. Let us know if you ever spot the nose hole!

Be sure to check back for additional information and updates on Yvonne Strahovski, as well as even more inside looks into the lives of your favorite celebrities, here on CinemaBlend.

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 1 first introduced viewers to the dynamics between Elisabeth Moss' June and Yvonne Strahovski's Serena, the wife of Commander Waterford that served as one of the thinkers behind the idea for Gilead. Serena is very much an antagonist, but The Handmaid’s Tale affords her brief moments of sympathy. That said, series star Yvonne Strahovski has not been shy about her feelings towards her character and she recently explained why she hasn’t changed her mind about Serena.

Serena looks out for number one: herself. Over the course of The Handmaid’s Tale’s three seasons, Serena has had moments of clarity. Sometimes, it seemed as though she would change her mind, see the error of her ways, and help June and Mayday fight back against Gilead’s fascist regime. However, despite seeing the cruelty first-hand while actively assisting in the rape of Elisabeth Moss’ June in Season 1, Serena hasn’t evolved past her reprehensible past.

Serena has also continued benefitting from the system she helped set up. You’d think having a finger cut off as punishment would shake her to the realities of Gilead, but nope. Yvonne Strahovski has lived in Serena’s skin for a few years now. As far as changing her mind about Serena goes, here’s what she told Collider:

Yvonne Strahovski knows who Serena is at her core, and it’s nothing too positive. Strahovski is quite purposeful in her portrayal of Serena as a victim in her own mind while also as a perpetrator to June and others. I’m on board with Strahovski in that Serena is quite “despicable,” and I think she showcases the character’s true intentions really well.

All that said, Yvonne Strahovski does enjoy playing Serena and believes what others say is true, it is “fun” getting to play a villain. But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any challenges. Strahovski cites the scene where Serena has to hold June down as being “quite difficult” to film. I admit that it was incredibly hard to watch that scene as well.

The last viewers saw of Serena, she had been arrested and was being held in Canada. She was allowed to see June’s daughter Nicole during supervised visits. However, with her and her husband Fred facing punishment, there’s no telling what The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 will bring, or when it will be bringing it.

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 is set to premiere at some point in 2021. In the meantime, you can binge the first three seasons on Hulu. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere guide.

Yvonne Strahovski made a name for herself on streaming TV thanks to her role as Serena on Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, but now she's jumping to a different streaming service to play a very different kind of role. Strahovski will star in an upcoming limited series on Netflix, called Stateless. The first trailer is out for the new show, which is based on a true story, and it reveals Strahovski on the run from a cult.

Take a look at Yvonne Strahovski in the trailer for a show that looks equal parts thrilling and intriguing:

If you thought Yvonne Strahovski fleeing from a cult was going to be the only exciting part of Stateless, then the trailer for the Netflix series proves otherwise. The series will follow four strangers when their lives collide in the middle of the Australian desert, where they all wound up at an immigration detention center.

Yvonne Strahovski plays an airline stewardess by the name of Sofie Werner on the run from a dangerous cult, and the trailer suggests that the show will feature her character in her days with the cult, when she was dressed up and out and about, as well as in the desert detention center.

As for the other three strangers whose lives will collide, viewers will see an Afghan refugee along with his family as they flee persecution, a young father trying to escape a dead-end job, and a bureaucrat trying to contain a national scandal but running out of time to do it.

Yvonne Strahovski leads a cast also comprised of Jai Courtney (playing Cam Sandford), Asher Keddie (playing Claire Kowitz), Fayssal Bazzi (playing Ameer), Marta Dusseldorp (playing Margot), Dominic West (playing Gordon Masters), and Cate Blanchett (playing Pat Masters). The series, which originally released on Australia's ABC, was co-created by Blanchett after she came up with the idea back in 2013.

Stateless will run for only six episodes, and viewers shouldn't go into the show expecting it to run for more beyond the first, or even an anthology. Speaking with Deadline, Cate Blanchett (whose Mrs. America TV show debuted on Hulu earlier this year) addressed whether there could be a Season 2:

According to the actress and co-creator, the goal of Stateless is more to create conversation about the subject matter than to launch Netflix's next hit ongoing series. If there is only the one season of the series, Cate Blanchett did manage to bring together a strong cast to tell the four main characters' stories.

The good news is that the wait to see Yvonne Strahovski's new show won't be too much longer. Stateless launches on Wednesday, July 8 at 12:01 a.m. PT on Netflix. The next season of The Handmaid's Tale won't hit Hulu any time too soon, so Stateless is the place to find more of Strahovski sooner rather than later.

For more streaming options now and in the coming weeks, be sure to check out our 2020 Netflix premiere schedule. If you're in the market for some TV options that aren't streaming, check out our 2020 summer premiere guide.

The Handmaid’s Tale features many troubling characters, and among them is Yvonne Strahovski’s Serena Joy, a character who is nothing like Strahovski’s role in Chuck. Well, just because Strahovski plays Serena, that does not mean that she is exempt from having some blunt thoughts about her character.

At the end of Season 3, Serena was finally arrested for her actions and crimes. A reckoning that has been a long time coming on The Handmaid’s Tale. Despite that, a backlash has lingered against the latest installment. In the midst of all of the show’s dark drama is Yvonne Strahovski’s Serena. When it comes to how she feels about her, Strahovski told Gold Derby:

Serena had been a big believer in Gilead and helped stir sentiments supporting it with a book she authored. In one of The Handmaid’s Tale’s many brutal scenes, Serena even helped Fred sexually assault June. So, it makes total sense that Yvonne Strahovski lacks sympathy for her. In fact, Strahovski says that Serena actually got her comeuppance.

Progress on the fourth season has not been tremendous, according to an update from Yvonne Strahovski’s co-star, Elisabeth Moss. So, fans of The Handmaid’s Tale are left to wonder what will become of Serena when the show returns. For Strahovski, it is about separating her personal feelings from that of her character, and it sounds like she has a pretty definitive line on that.

If The Handmaid’s Tale continues on the track it left off with, then Serena is in hot water. She is also facing being permanently kept from the one thing she wants most – baby Nichole, whose biological parents are June and Nick Blaine. Between being charged with crimes and facing permanent separation from Nichole, Serena is finally facing justice.

On a show where explosive twists are frequent, it would not be entirely surprising to see Serena navigate her way out of the seemingly tight corner she was backed into. The Handmaid’s Tale’s return is still quite a bit into the future, so fans will have to stay tuned to see what occurs. Yvonne Strahovski is evidently not rooting for Serena to get out of trouble.

I think actors probably have to be faced with that constant push-and-pull when it comes to playing a character, especially one who does wicked things. They may want to play the most dramatic story, and sometimes that does not mean that their character behaves in the best way. Either way, Yvonne Strahovski is looking at a very intriguing tale when The Handmaid’s Tale returns.

You can watch Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy during the first three seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale, which are all currently streaming on Hulu. A premiere date for Season 4 is pending due to the delay in filming. While you wait for Season 4 to bow, you can check out this summer’s schedule.

You probably recognize bubbly ingénue Yvonne Strahovski from eye-catching roles on the Emmy-winning action-comedy series Chuck, where she co-starred opposite Zachary Levi as CIA agent Sarah Walker, or from Showtime's Golden Globe-winning serial killer series Dexter, on which she played the twisted Hannah McKay. Before she broke into American television, this beautiful blonde got her start on TV in her homeland of Australia. And in a charming twist of fate, she returned there for her biggest movie role to date in I, Frankenstein, which opens in theaters this week.

Dreamed up by Underworld creator Kevin Grevioux, I, Frankenstein gives the iconic reanimated corpse a new life, bringing his story into the 21st century. Aaron Eckhart stars as Frankenstein's monster, who is left to discover how he fits into the human world after the death of his creator. Little did he expect to be drawn into a holy war waged between two clans of creatures as legendary as himself.

Co-starring with Eckhart, Yvonne Strahovski takes on the role of Dr. Terra Wade, an electro-physiologist who is following in the footsteps of Victor Frankenstein, trying to utilize electricity to resurrect dead flesh. It's a dark vocation, but one that Strahovski was eager to consider. Last week in a posh New York hotel, the TV star turned movie star spoke with me about the film, what she'd like to see in a sequel, and what the hell electrophysiology is.

While Yvonne character is sort of a modern-day Dr. Frankenstein, it was important for the actress to understand what would drive a person to essentially play god. She told us:

Aside from Strahovski's research into electrophysiology and Mary Shelley's seminal novel Frankenstein, she also had to build an onscreen rapport with a character who is at times more monster than man. Of course, as you can see from this still, he is one handsome abomination.

I, Frankenstein opens in theaters Friday, January 24th. Look for our review, 3D Or Not To 3D, and an interview with Eckhart later this week. In the meantime, check out its trailer.

And just for fun, see Yvonne Strahovski do a whole slate of impersonations, from Kesha and Katy Perry, to Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber in this College Humor video.

Spoilers if you aren't caught up on Dexter through Season 7!

The last Dexter fans saw of Yvonne Strahovski's Hannah McKay, she was leaving a potted black orchard on Dexter's porch and taking off to parts unknown (South America?), having managed to escape police custody before being sent to jail for the attempted murder of Dexter's sister Deb. We were left to wonder if that was the end of Dexter and Hannah's relationship. They supposedly loved each other, but Dexter turned on her in the end, wisely choosing to side with Deb when push came to shove. It looks like there's more to this story as Strahovski is coming back to the series for Season 8.

EW interviewed Strahovski via Twitter today and confirmed that she will return to Dexter for Season 8. Of course, Strahovski couldn't give away many (or any) details about how Hannah will return, and she was also vague on where the character's mind is as she comes back into Dexter's life…

What she did ensure was a bit of added turmoil…

On one hand, Strahovski's great, so her return is good news. On the other hand, Hannah is trouble and I never really bought into the romance side of her story with Dexter. I'm not even sure if we were supposed to want to see them together. So it's hard to celebrate Hannah's return if it means more of the two characters together.

With that said, there's unfinished business here. Hannah knows that Deb knows about Dexter, which could make things really messy when she comes back. And, of course, there's Hannah's agenda. Is she back because she wants revenge? Or back because she misses Dexter? And how will either factor into her plans? There's potential for some great conflict here. We'll have to see how it turns out.

Dexter returns for Season 8 on June 30 on Showtime.

Chuck had its fair share of darker moments, but the NBC series was practically a comedy by comparison to Showtime's serial killer drama Dexter, so it should be interesting to see what kind of role the pay-cable series has for Yvonne Strahovski, whom Chuck fans will remember fondly as the capable Sarah Walker.

With Chuck wrapped up for good, that leaves its cast free to move on to other projects. For Zachary Levi, that may be a spot in Thor 2, while it seems Chuck's main squeeze will be pursuing small screen roles, in addition to a few feature projects coming up. IMDB has Strahovski credited for the upcoming films The Guilt Trip and I, Frankenstein, and now Deadline is reporting that the Australian-born beauty is set to appear in Dexter for a multi-episode arc.

The thing I love about this is that it's really difficult to guess what kind of role she'll be playing. Sure, we could take the description at face-value and not consider the potential in a role like this, but on Dexter, there's often more than meets the eye. Hannah McKay could be a woman Dexter ends up helping or looking out for. Or it could turn out she's got some deep, dark secret that makes her a fitting victim for Dexter's table. His code dictates that he only kill people who truly "deserve" it for misdeeds in their path. If she has a closet full of skeletons (either literally or figuratively), we may see what Hannah McKay looks like with her cheek sliced open. A morbid bit of speculation, for sure, but not one unfitting for a show like this. And with Strahovski in the role, it could go either way. I could just as easily see her playing a good woman in need of a protector as much as I could see a darker side to her if the role called for it. We'll have to wait and see what happens when Season 7 arrives (September 30).

Watch the teaser for Dexter Season 7 here.

For your typical movie, there are three main parts that need to be nailed down: the protagonist, the antagonist and the female lead (I don't mean to sound sexist, but just quickly think about the ratio of male driven stories to female ones in Hollywood and then notice my use of the word "typical"). In the case of Stuart Beattie's I, Frankenstein, Aaron Eckhart is set to play the hero, just yesterday it was announced that Bill Nighy is in talks to be the villain, and now the project has found its leading lady. In fact, it has found two.

THR has learned that Yvonne Strahovski is now in final talks and Miranda Otto has signed on for the graphic novel adaptation. The story follows a Frankenstein's monster named Adam (Eckhart) who is pursued by literal demons that wish to know the secret of his creation. Strahovski will play a scientist who works in the field of reanimation and is tricked by the demons into creating an army. Apparently the film also involves gargoyles who help Adam on his journey, as Otto - no relation to Socratis Otto, who joined the cast yesterday as Nighy's right-hand-man - will be playing the queen of the stone creatures. Production is scheduled to begin this winter in Australia and the film will be distributed by Lionsgate.

As I mentioned a few months ago, when Strahovski was added to the cast of My Mother's Curse starring Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand, now is the time for her to be picking up as many film projects as she can, particularly with her NBC series, Chuck, coming to an end. Happy to see that she's doing just that.

Here’s a few things about Chuck you might need to know or maybe you just forgot...

Chuck was average guy until he ended up with the Intersect in his brain -- every scrap of intel from the U.S. military, CIA, NSA, and more. It’s also got a collection of skill sets that let him do everything from safecracking to taking on a room full of Russian mercenaries in hand-to-hand combat. Now, with his secret-agent girlfriend Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski), his NSA handler Casey (Adam Baldwin), and his BuyMore best friend Morgan (Joshua Gomez), Chuck’s out to protect the free world and find out whatever happened to his mom -- a spy know as Frost who vanished while investigating an international arms dealer named Volkoff.

One thing Chuck has always had going for it -- this show gets awesome guest stars. Linda Hamilton as Chuck’s mom, Timothy Dalton as her neurotic CIA handler, Robert Englund as a mad scientist who invents a “fear toxin,” Dolph Lundgren, Summer Glau, Ray Wise, the Old Spice guy -- and a dozen more past that. Plus, as an added bonus, when you’ve got this many big names it’s easy to hide a secret identity in plain sight...as we eventually find out. Twice.

The real heart of this show, though, has always been the relationships between Chuck and his friends and family. While the main arc this season is the hunt for Frost and Volkoff, just as important is Chuck’s quest for the perfect way to propose to Sarah. It’s part goofball, part touching, and it’s got a resolution that’s so beautifully understated that I challenge anyone to watch it and not get a little misty eyed.

Not to say the show is perfect. Four seasons in, Chuck has definitely found its strengths, but still clings to its weaknesses. While some of the product placement is a bit blatant (yet still not as clumsy as it was on Heroes), the biggest is the BuyMore, Chuck’s civilian cover. While it was a fine use of time in the early days, it’s painfully clear how much Chuck, both the character and the show, has outgrown this setting. It’s still good stuff, but usually feels shoehorned in more than an actual part of the story. Jeff and Lester (Scott Krinsky and Vik Sahay) are funny, and sometimes even a bit touching, but more often than not you’d really rather be hearing about the Volkoffs, the mysterious Agent X, or even just Casey’s attempt to reconnect with his daughter.

For a show that’s so notoriously fan-friendly, this set feels a bit bare, with no commentaries at all from cast or crew. What is here hasn’t been set up in the most convenient way. Take, for example, “Buy Hard: The Jeff and Lester Story.” It’s a series of five short webisodes about how Jeffster spent their summer (as well as a shameless tie-in to the release of Halo Reach). But there’s only one episode per disc, so to watch this story you need to change the disc in your player every five minutes and sit through the WB anti-piracy message every time. Each disc also has a block of “Declassified Scenes,” but they’re all lumped together. There are no headers to explain where they fall in the episode, or even which episode they’re from. The booklet tells you if a given episode has a declassified scene, but that’s your only clue.

There’s an original feature called “Spying on the Cast: Operation Gomez,” which feels a lot like Joshua Gomez goofing around with the EPK crew and a few things he borrowed from the prop department. It’s just more of Gomez hamming it up the same way his character Morgan does.

There’s also a feature on Zachary Levi directing an episode. It’s a nice reminder that Strahovski is Australian and Baldwin is a lot more articulate than his characters, but it’s not terribly informative about what Levi brings to the position or how much extra work it involves. You just come away with the sense that the cast and crew of Chuck love their show, love working together, and are willing to put in extra effort to help Levi succeed because they all like him.

Then again, that’s probably a good lesson for any director to remember.

Chuck: The Complete Fourth Season is still a must-buy for fans of the show, or just anyone who enjoys fun, well-written television.

Length: 817 min.

Distributor: Warner Home Video

Release Date: 10/11/11

Starring: Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Adam Baldwin, Joshua Gomez, Sarah Lancaster, Ryan McPartlin, Bonita Freidericy

Directed by: Robert Duncan McNeill, Gail Mancuso, Norman Buckley, Michael Schultz, John Scott, Allan Kroeker, Anton Cropper, Zachary Levi, Jay Chandrasekhar, Milan Cheylov, Peter Lauer, Patrick Norris, Paul Marks, Fredrick E.O. Toye, Kevin Mock

Produced by: Josh Schwartz, Chris Fedak, Nicholas Wootton, Robert Duncan McNeill, McG

Written by: Chris Fedak, Rafe Judkins & Lauren LeFranc, Nicholas Wootton, Kristen Newman, Henry Alonso Meyers, Craig DiGregorio, Max Denby, Phil Klemmer, Alex Katsnelson, Amanda Kate Shuman

Today Square Enix made a couple big announcements about The 3rd Birthday, the next game in the Parasite Eve series. They've revealed the North American release date as well as the starring voice actors.

3rd Birthday is a PSP action RPG set in the modern day. Players control Aya Brea, a special agent fighting monsters known as the Twisted. She has both guns and magical abilities at her disposal in battle.

The game will hit North American retailers on March 29th. The European release hasn't been narrowed down further than "Spring 2011." Japanese gamers have had it since December.

3rd Birthday's voice cast is headlined by Chuck star Yvonne Strahovski. She'll be voicing Aya. Jensen Ackles of Supernatural will play the role of Kyle Madigan, Aya's love interest.

While perusing Mass Effect 2 screenshots, you've probably spent an unhealthy amount of time ogling a certain dark-haired beauty. Today BioWare released a new video and screenshot introducing us to Miranda Lawson.

Miranda is a member of Cerberus, a secretive organization looking to advance humanity's interests at any cost. Somehow she'll end up in Commander Shepard's wandering band of misfits. If she sounds familiar, it's because she's voiced by Chuck's Yvonne Strahovski. Seems like they modeled Miranda's face to look like Yvonne's, too. I'm on board with that.

Mass Effect 2 hits the PC and Xbox 360 on January 26th in North America. The European release will follow on January 29th.

Today BioWare announced the voice acting cast for Mass Effect 2. The numerous TV/film actors lending their voice include Martin Sheen, Michael Dorn, and Tricia Helfer.

In the process of announcing the actors and their roles, the press release gives a few hints as to the game's storyline:

Previous trailers showed the Normandy getting blown up. Nice to hear that we'll be getting a replacement with a sexy automated voice, though.

Most of the movie and TV presenters at this year's New York Comic Con were way too spoiler-averse to give us any real information. But the real-life geeks behind nerd action hero Chuck didn't let us down. After showing five minutes of footage from the upcoming season, including shots of Scott Bakula as Chuck's dad and Chevy Chase as another figure from the past, creator Chris Fedak, executive producer Josh Schwartz, and Yvonne Strahovski spilled all kinds of secrets about what we might expect from the gang at the Buy More.

Before I get into the list of new revelations, it's worth noting that all three were incredibly gracious with the enthusiastic fans who had gathered, many of whom asked for autographs, with one actually inviting Strahovski to lead a parade. Schwartz, who has also had a hand in The O.C. and Gossip Girl, pretty much is Seth Cohen, and both he and Fedak displayed the minute level of knowledge of their show that normally you'd only expect out of the fans.

Note that Chuck will be a re-run tonight, because President Obama will be making a speech. He might be making a speech next Monday too, which prompted Schwartz to explain "Clearly Obama's first plan as President was to destroy Chuck." Now that's a battle I'd like to see.

Also check out the video clip below, in which Schwartz explains why Best Buy has not sued their tails off for the Buy More, and what we might see at the Buy More in the future.

Chuck will be improving his spy skills, even though the preview clip showed a lot of him screaming and running away. Chuck will even have his first kill!

Apparently there are people really concerned about whether or not Chuck is being paid by the government, and to satisfy them, that question will be addressed.

There will be a fight scene (probably involving Sarah) set in a car.

Tony Hale, a.k.a. Buster from Arrested Development, is signed on to rule the Buy More with an iron fist for the rest of the season.

Jeff and Lester have a band... called Jeffster.

There may be an episode set at San Diego Comic Con somewhere in the future.

Casey may or may not have a robotic toe! This only came up because a 9-year-old asked about it, but Schwartz and Fedak seemed so thrilled by the idea that I'll be keeping an eye out just in case.

And finally, check out in the video below how the recession may or may not affect Buy More.