Noah Wyle is a consensus pick, with a sizable lead over Mark Ruffalo. Glenn Whipp sums up the Buzz: “There’s little chance that Noah Wyle doesn’t repeat.”
The panel, though, says it would like to see the academy sidestep its usual voting habits and honor some genre work as well. Walton Goggins of the video game-spawned “Fallout,” Antony Starr of the super-powered satire “The Boys” and Peter Claffey of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” all get votes, while Alfred Molina and Karl Urban get shout-outs.
Matt Roush says, “While fantasy seems a long shot, ‘Fallout’s’ Walton Goggins and ‘The Boys’ adversaries Antony Starr and Karl Urban are all worthy.”
“You can’t help but root for ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ ’ Ser Duncan the Tall — a naive underdog chasing his dreams while trying to do the right thing,” says Tracy Brown of Claffey.
Even No. 3 pick Sterling K. Brown is in a sci-fi/postapocalyptic entry, “Paradise.” If he can survive the end of civilization, surely he can withstand a stressed-out ER doc? “It may seem inevitable for Noah Wyle to take the trophy again,” writes Trey Mangum. “But I wouldn’t count Brown out just yet.”
More predictions: drama series | drama actress | drama supp. actor | drama supp. actress
1. Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” 2. Mark Ruffalo, “Task” 3. Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” 4. Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” 5. Rufus Sewell, “The Diplomat” 6. Walton Goggins, “Fallout” 7. Billy Bob Thornton, “Landman” 8. Antony Starr, “The Boys”
Los Angeles Times
Lorraine Ali
1. Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” 2. Mark Ruffalo, “Task” T3. Walton Goggins, “Fallout” T3. Antony Starr, “The Boys” T5. Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” T5. Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” T5. Rufus Sewell, “The Diplomat”
“It’s hard to look at Walter Goggins’ noseless ‘Fallout’ character, the Ghoul, without retching, but his compelling performance also makes it hard to turn away. Antony Starr brings to life another type of monster: an egomaniacal, king-of-the-world superhero in ‘The Boys.’ Then there’s Noah Wyle. He plays a doctor.”
Freelance Critic
Kristen Baldwin
1. Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” 2. Mark Ruffalo, “Task” 3. Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” 4. Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” 5. Rufus Sewell, “The Diplomat” 6. Walton Goggins, “Fallout”
“There’s not a lot of wiggle room in this category, but don’t count out Alfred Molina, who stars in Netflix’s ‘The Boroughs,’ a sort of ‘senior citizens battle stranger things’ drama from the Duffer Brothers. (Of course, Molina will have to get through Jon Hamm, Peter Claffey and Billy Bob Thornton first.)”
Los Angeles Times
Tracy Brown
1. Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” 2. Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” 3. Mark Ruffalo, “Task” 4. Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” 5. Walton Goggins, “Fallout” 6. Peter Claffey, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”
“This might be a long shot for Peter Claffey, but you can’t help but root for ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’’ Ser Duncan the Tall — a naive underdog chasing his dreams while trying to do the right thing. Last year’s winner Noah Wyle is the strong front–runner, though.”
Blavity
Trey Mangum
1. Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” 2. Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” 3. Mark Ruffalo, “Task” 4. Billy Bob Thornton, “Landman” 5. Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” 6. Rufus Sewell, “The Diplomat”
“If ‘Paradise’s’ drama series buzz is big enough, I think Sterling K. Brown could really be a force here, though it seems as if it may seem inevitable for Noah Wyle to take the trophy again. But I wouldn’t count Brown out just yet.”
TV Insider
Matt Roush
1. Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” 2. Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” 3. Mark Ruffalo, “Task” 4. Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” 5. Rufus Sewell, “The Diplomat” 6. Billy Bob Thornton, “Landman”
“Noah Wyle and Sterling K. Brown are locks to repeat, and Mark Ruffalo’s mournful ‘Task’ hero is another potential winner. Billy Bob Thornton carries ‘Landman’ on his weary shoulders. While fantasy seems a long shot, ‘Fallout’s’ Walton Goggins and ‘The Boys’ adversaries Antony Starr and Karl Urban are all worthy.”
Los Angeles Times
Glenn Whipp
1. Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” 2. Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” 3. Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” 4. Mark Ruffalo, “Task” 5. Rufus Sewell, “The Diplomat” 6. Jon Hamm, “Your Friends & Neighbors”
“ ‘Slow Horses’ has been breaking through at the Emmys the last couple of years, winning for writing and direction. Might it be Gary Oldman’s time? It’s a nice thought … but there’s little chance that Noah Wyle doesn’t repeat for ‘The Pitt.’ ”
The Boys first debuted back in July, 2019, where fans were introduced to the likes of Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid), Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), Annie January (Erin Moriarty) and maniacal villain Homelander (Antony Starr).
Today on May 20, 2026, the final episode of episode 5 aired, bidding farewell to many characters while indicating what the future might hold for them.
But is this the end of The Boys? And is Eric Kripke finished with Vought and the world of supes? *Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Boys finale.*
Will there be a season 6 of The Boys?
According to Prime Video, season 5 was the final season of The Boys, with most of these characters appearing on our screens for what will probably be the last time.
This won’t come as a big shock to fans who have watched the season 5 finale, which gives most of the show’s biggest characters a clear ending.
As many predicted, Butcher finally defeats Homelander in an epic battle in the Oval Office of the White House, which leaves him stripped of his powers and begging for his life.
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Meanwhile, Butcher also meets his end at the hands of Hughie, who shoots him to prevent him from unleashing their supe-killing virus upon the world.
Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) travels to France to see the sights and eat the food she and Frenchie (Tomer Capone) talked about, while MM (Laz Alonso) reunites with his family and finally gives Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) a stable home.
It is also revealed Hughie now runs his own electronics store with a now-pregnant Annie, who still works as a real-life superhero, saving people.
Finally, the last episode of season 5 confirms the survival of Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair), Jordan Li (London Thor) and Emma Meyer (Lizze Broadway), after Gen V was cancelled last month.
One character whose fate remains uncertain is Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles), but fans won’t have long before they see him again.
What’s next for The Boys?
While The Boys might be over, there is still more to come from the show’s wider universe, with a spin-off already on the way.
New prequel series Vought Rising, which takes place decades before The Boys, is set to premiere in 2027.
The 1950s show about the origins of Vought will see the return of Soldier Boy as well as Clara Vought (Aya Cash), who was a love interest for Homelander in season 2 of The Boys.
We will also meet a new roster of Vought superheroes, who were the first successful test subjects of V1.
Another spin-off called The Boys: Mexico, in development under Gareth Dunnet-Alocer and executive produced by Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, is reportedly also in the works.
In 2025, Eric Kripke told Collider: “The pilot of [The] Boys: Mexico is being developed right now. It’s very cool.
“I mean, who knows? Obviously you never know, but I can say that the world itself meets the standard of all of our spin-offs. It’s our world but a totally different tone, and it’s super fun.
“Gael and Diego are executive producers, which is amazing and [they] really engaged with it. Short answer is we’ll see, but I think the script is good.”
The Boys season 5 is now available to stream in full on Prime Video.
Whether Mira Costa has the best high school volleyball team in America is open to debate, but the Mustangs left little doubt they are No. 1 in the Southern Section on Friday night, sweeping Loyola 25-21, 25-22, 25-22 at Cerritos College to repeat as Division 1 champions.
UCLA-bound Mateo Fuerbringer was ready from the start, ending Loyola’s first three rallies with thunderous kills and the fourth with an emphatic stuff block. Ten points into the match, the 6-foot-4 junior hitter already had five kills and he ended the first set with his 12th as Mira Costa was ahead from start to finish.
“He’s always had the IQ, now you add the power on top of that?” Mira Costa coach Greg Snyder said of his star. “There are no answers. It’s a deadly combination. Mateo has no weaknesses.”
The teams traded leads throughout the second set until the Mustangs created separation late on the serving of Fuerbringer and Enzo Barker before Loyola’s Pax Stetson served into the twine to put Mira Costa up two sets to none.
The third-seeded Cubs took a 17-11 lead in the third set, but Mira Costa got in front 20-19 on Barker’s ace and Fuerbringer sent the green-and-white clad fans into delirium with his right-side smash on match point. He finished with 27 kills while Barker and UC Santa Barbara commit Wyatt Davis each added six. Mater Dei transfer Jake Newman had 38 assists and Dane Del Riego had 15 digs.
Loyola’s Brendan Maffel flings the ball past Mira Costa blocker Miles Crotty during the Southern Section Division 1 boys’ volleyball championship on Friday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
“I always try to set the tone and Jake gave me great sets,” Fuerbringer said. “They were bombing serves in that third set and got up on us, but we stuck with it and closed it strong. We didn’t want to give them any momentum.”
Mira Costa won its 10th section title and improved to 10-8 in finals. It also won back-to-back titles for the second time in school history, the first coming in Division 2 in 2001 and 2002. Mira Costa is 2-3 in finals against Loyola, having fallen to the Cubs in four sets in 2005 and 2010, prevailing in five sets in 2012 and getting swept in 2024.
Mira Costa has won 10 straight matches (dropping only three sets) since its five-set defeat at Bay League rival Redondo Union on March 26. It avenged that loss in four sets April 20 to earn the top seed.
The teams were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the country when they faced off in a nonleague match March 21 in Manhattan Beach, where the Mustangs rallied from a two-set deficit to win 15-11 in the fifth in a two-and-a-half-hour marathon. That time, Fuerbringer had 37 kills.
“The first time we didn’t come out as strong,” he said. “This time we were ready to play and came out hot.”
In the semifinals six days earlier, Loyola upset No. 2 Redondo Union in five sets, avenging a close loss in the Redondo Varsity Classic final on April 18. Mira Costa swept No. 4 Huntington Beach — its third victory over the Oilers this season.
Mira Costa won the inaugural Division I state championship last spring and will begin its quest for a repeat Tuesday night (regional seedings will be released Sunday afternoon). If it runs the table, Mira Costa would equal its 37-2 record in 2025.
Pepperdine commit JP Wardy had 13 kills and Rafa Milchan added 12 for the Cubs (23-4), but senior captain Blake Fahlbusch, who is headed to USC, was held to nine. Libero Matt Kelly, a Loyola Chicago commit, had 12 digs.
“We know where everyone wants to swing and we know Blake’s their catalyst,” Snyder said. “When they need a kill they usually go to him.”
The teams did not meet in the postseason last year. Mira Costa defeated Huntington Beach to win the section and regional crowns while Loyola fell to the Oilers in the section semifinals and did not play in regionals.
Snyder has guided the Mustangs into the finals in each of his three seasons, winning the last two. He was with the program for 12 years prior, seven as a varsity assistant under Avery Drost.
Loyola’s JP Wardy gets blocked by Mira Costa’s Miles Crotty and Colby Graham during the Mustangs’ win Friday night.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Loyola, making its 19th appearance in a section final, dropped to 13-6 all-time and 7-6 in 28 seasons under 1984 Cubs alum Michael Boehle.
In the preceding Division 4 final, Sunny Hills beat Royal, 24-26, 25-22, 27-25, 25-23 for its second title since coach Albert Soliguen started the program in 2020.
Owen Filadelfia had 18 kills and eight digs, Christian Lee added 17 kills and 11 digs, Jacob Sueki had 16 digs and Parker Mesnik dished out 47 assists for the Lancers (21-14), who swept Carpinteria in the Division 5 final in 2022 at Long Beach City College.
Grant Herzer had 19 kills, Donald Fleming had 18 and each added nine digs for the Highlanders (16-11), who were seeking their sixth section title in their 11th trip to the finals, having won Division 2-A in 1989 and 1990, 3-A in 1992, Division II in 1994 and Division 3 in 2022.
A soap star being probed by cops for child sex offences against five teenage boys remains on bail despite being arrested more than 18 months ago
18:49, 15 May 2026Updated 18:57, 15 May 2026
The man was arrested more than 18 months ago(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
A soap star previously accused of child sex offences against five teenage boys still remains under investigation 18 months after being arrested. The household name was arrested in October 2024 but has been on bail since. It is understood he has been reinterviewed since then over the claims, which date back to the 1990s when the man had major roles in some of Britain’s most popular television shows.
The police force investigating the actor, who can’t be named for legal reasons, has confirmed that inquiries are ongoing, and he remains on bail. Guidance suggests suspects can generally be on bail between three to nine months before needing to be charged or released.
The original bail period can be extended to six months by an inspector, nine months by a superintendent, with further extension needing Magistrate court approval. Detectives have spent time since his arrest analysing computers and documents which they seized upon his arrest.
The star was initially held for several hours before being released on bail. His family, including his partner, were left stunned by his arrest and he is also understood to be shocked by the historic allegations, which he denies. The five alleged victims are now all adults.
A police spokesman initially said in October 2024: “A man has been arrested on suspicion of historical child sex offences involving five victims. Officers investigating allegations relating to the 1990s detained a man. He was arrested on suspicion of several sexual offences relating to five men who were teenage boys at the time of the alleged offending. He has been conditionally bailed while enquiries continue.”
IN the weeks before we lost The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson on June 11 last year, he had two special visitors.
They were the group’s surviving founder members, his first cousin Mike Love, and his best friend from college, Al Jardine.
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The Beach Boys pose at San Diego Zoo in cover shoot for Pet SoundsCredit: public domain // public domain // Date TBDIn the weeks before Brian Wilson’s death last year, Beach Boys founders Mike Love and Al Jardine made emotional final visits to see himCredit: public domain // public domain // Date TBD
It was their chance to say goodbye to the man who, above anyone, brought “good vibrations” to the world and created their 1966 magnum opus Pet Sounds.
First to venture up the drive at Brian’s Beverly Hills mansion for one last time was Jardine.
“I last saw him at the very end,” he says. “I came up to the house and he just pointed at me.
“He said, ‘You started the band’, and I went, ‘Wait, come on, Brian, I’m sure you had a little something to do with it!’
“He was very direct at times — he could be very unfiltered — but I think our friendship meant a lot to him.
“He was always my best friend, right from when we started out.”
Despite Brian’s well-documented struggles with mental health, Jardine insists that his old buddy never lost his passion for music.
“His reputation remains solid,” he adds, before supplying an answer to his own question: “What’s the term? Legend.
Surviving founder Mike LoveCredit: public domain // public domain // Date TBDAl Jardine is also surviving founder member of the Beach BoysCredit: public domain // public domain // Date TBD
“His work will be appreciated for centuries to come. He had his own style. Just listen to his arrangements and his chord changes — they’re just so unusual.
“His brother Dennis actually said it first, ‘Brian is The Beach Boys’. He created our sound and, as Mike Love would say, he heard things we couldn’t hear.”
Of his last visit to Brian, Love says: “A couple of weeks before he passed away, I was able to go and see him.
“We had a great time. We sang together, actually, which was a lot of fun.”
Love leads the latest incarnation of The Beach Boys, keeping their songs alive in concert, including Pet Sounds classics God Only Knows, Wouldn’t It Be Nice and Sloop John B.
“Brian’s still with us every night in that music,” he affirms
If Brian, younger brothers Carl and Dennis, Mike and Al started out by singing about surfing, girls and open-top cars in the California sun, it was the elder Wilson sibling who took things to the next level with Pet Sounds.
A themed song cycle employing pioneering production techniques, sublime harmonies, divine melodies and darker, soul-searching lyrics, it is regarded as Brian’s masterpiece.
Dennis Wilson, the family rebel who played the drumsCredit: public domain // public domain // Date TBDCarl Wilson is credited as being the band’s ‘musical director on stage’ and the ‘most proficient musician in the group’Credit: public domain // public domain // Date TBD
He had been impressed with The Beatles’ sonic adventures on Rubber Soul — now he was pushing The Beach Boys to raise the bar higher, in turn inspiring their chart rivals to make Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Paul McCartney maintains that God Only Knows is his favourite song and that Pet Sounds is among his top three albums.
He once enthused: “The musical invention on that is, like, ‘Wow!’
“I just thought, ‘Oh dear me, this is THE album of all time, what the hell are we gonna do?’”
To mark its 60th anniversary, The Pet Sounds Sessions — including demos, alternate takes and outtakes — are receiving digital, CD and vinyl editions. They feature a host of a cappella tracks shining the spotlight on the breathtaking harmonies.
Which is why I’m speaking to Brian’s bandmates via video calls that seem entirely appropriate for singers who epitomise California’s sunny beach vibes.
As we’re connected, Love, 85, reports that he’s “driving down the Pacific Coast Highway outside of Malibu”.
In a separate call, Jardine, 83, is sitting in his solarium under clear blue skies in Monterey, gateway to the rugged Big Sur coastal region.
The band lays down vocals for Pet SoundsCredit: UnknownDespite Brian’s well-documented struggles with mental health, Jardine, above, insists that his old buddy never lost his passion for musicCredit: Unknown
First, Love gives me insights into his Beach Boys journey, leading up to the groundbreaking Pet Sounds.
His mother Glee was the sister of Murry Wilson, father of Brian, Carl and Dennis, “so every holiday — Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Fourth of July — and birthday was celebrated with music.
“When Brian and I were teens, we’d get together and sing or listen to the radio, hearing groups like The Everly Brothers.”
When they formed The Beach Boys, the clean-cut image involving surfing, sun and girls was, he says, “environmental because we lived a few miles from the sea”.
Love continues: “We would often go to the beach for family outings. There, you’d find people who dressed a certain way, talked a certain way and had a certain attitude.
“They were the surfers who inspired our first song, Surfin’ [released in 1961].”
As to whether The Beach Boys joined the craze, he adds: “Dennis, Al and I had surfboards but we weren’t the greatest athletes. We appreciated it though, and we gave it a shot.
“I’m not sure Brian ever tried it. He could only hear out of one ear and didn’t have much balance. You need all the balance you can get when you’re surfing.”
Love, above, recalls writing lyrics with Brian Wilson for Beach Boys classics including Surfin’ USA, I Get Around and Fun Fun FunCredit: UnknownBrian in the studioCredit: Unknown
Love recalls how he would “sit down at the piano with Brian while he figured out chord progressions, tempos and melodies.
“I felt it was up to me to come up with lyrics and sing lead on songs we were working on together such as Surfin’ USA, I Get Around and Fun Fun Fun.”
Jardine, who currently fronts The Pet Sounds Band of ace Brian Wilson associates, also casts his mind back to the early days but is interrupted by “actual pet sounds”.
“Hang on a second, we have a little dog outside and he’s barking — I gotta shut him up,” he reports.
When calm returns, I ask Jardine how he came to form a band with three brothers and their cousin in 1961.
He answers: “Well, Brian and I were classmates in high school but didn’t really know each other.
“We were on the football team — he was quarterback and I was full back. He would call the plays, either pitching the ball to me or somebody else.
“But we didn’t interact until we went to college. I’d heard him in concert and, in our second year, I bumped into him on campus and said, ‘We gotta start a band’.
“We walked over to the music room and started playing music for each other.
“I’d already been in a folk group and, when he heard me sing, he realised I had a gift.
“Then he said, ‘I’ve got my little brothers and my cousin, Mike. I’ll introduce you to them. I rented instruments from a local music store but we didn’t know how to express ourselves at first, so we just sang a cappella.
“Once we finally got around the piano, we were off and running.
“I soon realised that Brian was a fine-tuned instrument. He had a great voice, a great knack for composition and already had a duet thing going on with Mike.”
As for the surfer image, Jardine credits Dennis Wilson, the family rebel who played the drums. He says: “Dennis was a surfer and the rest of us were land lovers. He taught me how to surf but I sank like a stone.
“But surfing was the craze so we put lyrics to our first song and called it Surfin’.”
In 1964, Brian dropped the bombshell that he was stepping back from touring to concentrate on studio work.
Love provides this insight into his cousin’s state of mind: “Brian wasn’t comfortable on the road — he got nervous and unhappy. He missed home and he missed the studio.
“It was a drag to see him leave the live group but it was in his best interests.”
Afforded fewer distractions, Brian applied himself to Pet Sounds and, in tandem with it, the sophisticated sonic miracle Good Vibrations — a standalone hit deemed not a good fit for the album.
This period coincided with his experiments with LSD and marijuana.
He once stated that drugs helped him achieve a deeper level of creativity but later expressed regrets over the damage to his mental health.
Because of the complexity, Brian needed longer than usual to finish Pet Sounds so The Beach Boys released a stopgap party album, yielding one of their biggest hits, Barbara Ann.
Then, after a tour of Japan in January 1966, with Bruce Johnston taking Brian’s place, Carl, Dennis, Mike, Al and Bruce returned for the momentous sessions.
In their absence, Brian had employed lyricist Tony Asher and crack session musicians the Wrecking Crew, including, among many, Glen Campbell on guitar and banjo.
Love says: “The tracks Brian had done were completely amazing. Our main job was to finish them vocally and we worked very hard.”
One of the songs was God Only Knows, which he says was “sung so beautifully by my cousin Carl”.
“We lost him many years ago to lung cancer. For concerts these days, my son Christian sings lead.”
So what was Carl like? “He was our musical director on stage and the most proficient musician in the group,” replies Love.
Jardine adds: “Carl could knock it out of the park. He was right in the centre of our harmonies with Mike’s baritone below and me higher, with Brian higher still.”
And what about Dennis, who had a wild reputation and later befriended cult leader and killer Charles Manson?
Love says: “He lived a dangerous life because of the alcohol and drugs he got involved with. He died [from drowning] in 1983.”
Jardine adds: “Dennis was our Keith Moon. Oh boy, all he had to do was just stand up on stage and the crowd would go nuts.”
It was self-confessed folkie Jardine who brought Bahamian sea shanty Sloop John B to Brian. He says: “I was a Kingston Trio fan. They were big Capitol Records guys, same label as us, and they wore striped shirts.
“Learning all their songs was my musical training. When the time came to start The Beach Boys, I went out and bought striped shirts for us.
“Sloop John B was my idea. I said, ‘Brian, if we add one major and one minor chord, it’ll sound like us instead of The Kingston Trio’.
“He put it to good use. It became Pet Sounds’ lead single. Capitol always wanted a hit to sell an album.”
Recalling the sessions, Jardine says that Brian’s abilities had been “growing exponentially” while they’d been away.
“In spite of our jet lag, we were in the studio the day after we got home from Japan. We were extremely impressed with Brian’s arrangements.
“People forget that he was a masterful producer. He knew the language. He could go into a studio and the studio became an instrument for him.”
That said, it wasn’t all plain sailing, as Jardine explains: “Mike didn’t like the lyrics on some songs so he insisted on changing a couple around.
“He thought a song called Hang On To Your Ego was too sophisticated for our crowd so he changed it to I Know There’s An Answer.”
The story of Pet Sounds wouldn’t be complete without mention of the album title and cover shot of the boys among the goats at San Diego Zoo. Love says: “Brian didn’t know what to call the album.
“At the end [of final track Caroline, No], you hear a train going by and dogs are barking.
“Those were Brian and [first wife] Marilyn’s dogs. So I said, ‘Why don’t we call it Pet Sounds? It was a double entendre, of course — and it stuck.”
Jardine picks up the story of the photo shoot: “It was a total mystery to me.
“We had to drive to San Diego, which was 200 miles away. We had our own zoo in Los Angeles, for God’s sake!”
The resulting album cover has a quaint charm but it’s not exactly up there with Sgt Pepper’s iconic Peter Blake design.
Love smiles at the memory and says: “I was in India at the Maharishi’s place when Paul McCartney and I had a conversation one night.
“He was saying, ‘Mike, you ought to take more care with your album covers’.
“So I told him, ‘Paul, you’re absolutely right.
We should’.
“But we always felt that what went into the sleeve was more important than the cover itself.”
And speaking of goats, to many including Macca, Pet Sounds is the GOAT.
THE BEACH BOYS
The Pet Sounds Session Highlights
★★★★★
The Pet Sounds Sessions Highlights is out in the UK on 15 May
This article contains spoilers for the penultimate episode of “The Boys.”
There’s just one episode to go in the fifth and final season of Prime Video’s irreverent superhero satire, “The Boys.” The topical, darkly funny, whip-smart series from Eric Kripke follows a band of vigilante misfits who fight to expose the all-powerful, corrupt conglomerate Vought International and its stable of villainous superheroes.
Among the ragtag crew of antiheroes is Frenchie, played by Tomer Capone. Frenchie is the de facto chemist and inventor of the group, a former assassin for hire whose drug-addled brain is constantly concocting news ways to kill immortal Supes (superheroes). Yet he’s deeply connected with the feral Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), who was nonverbal when he helped save her from human traffickers who sought to cash in on her Supe strength. Their bond — both are outsiders who suffered abuse as children — is one of the few emotional soft spots in the otherwise fast-moving series about America’s rotten power structure, manipulative media and the gullibility of the public.
Though fans of the show are already mourning the end of “The Boys,” they were dealt another major blow Wednesday, when in Episode 7 beloved Frenchie met his fate at the hands of the sociopathic head Supe, Homelander (Antony Starr). Israeli actor Capone talks about the scene, the end of the show and how to cope with the loss of Frenchie. This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
OK, so the big question first. Do you actually speak French?
En vous? Moi? [Laughs] OK, a little bit, but it’s a different kind of French. But that wasn’t the difficult part. Frenchie, to me, is one of those characters for an actor, that’s a gift. It’s something I prayed for. It’s a full-on character. He’s an outsider. He’s a foreigner. The way he walks, the way he talks. We can also talk about the crop tops and the hairstyle …
He’s a full-on character, and the French aspect was only part of it. There was also the sign language with Kimiko, and the connection. For me, the emotion and connection was the bigger aspect of portraying Frenchie.
Are you ready for all the tears of your fans once they witness Frenchie’s demise? He sacrifices himself to lure Homelander away from Kimiko. She is saved, but he is killed in the process.
Oh my God, I can’t watch it. I didn’t watch it. I can’t. I’m too involved.
Tomer Capone on the scene with his character’s demise: “Oh my God, I can’t watch it.”
(Jasper Savage/Prime)
So you really haven’t watched the scene yet?
No. It’s the longest character I ever had in my career, and I can’t. Something tells me not yet.
When you shot that scene, was there an intensity on set? How did that play out?
Intensity is always around the show because there’s so much to accomplish doing “The Boys.” But funnily enough, that specific scene was the most tranquil and quiet set I’ve experienced. I remember standing there with the amazing people of the cast and crew, and we’re talking about how the scene is going to play out. I felt this quietness, like everybody was like inside themselves, so I started to get nervous. I said, “Oh my God, they’re expecting something.”
But very quickly, I decided that I’m just going release all the [plans], thoughts or ideas that I had about the scene. I literally went into this mantra that said, “Frenchie, here’s the keys. Drive the car.” And you know what? It was the right way to go. It made sense. It felt very respectful and spiritual. Those kind of scenes come once in never, where you feel like you’re letting the character drive, and you’re just gliding behind it.
“The Boys” is based on the 2000s comic book series of the same name by writer Garth Ennis and artist Darick Robertson. But the show is unlike any comic book adaptation out there. In fact, it mocks superhero culture.
The biggest gift of working [with] Eric Kripke, the writers and this show is that even as things are moving fast and big things are happening, they’re emotionally backed up. And as a character and an actor, it’s like, OK, I understand what I’m doing. This is the world and what we’re playing. You get where it is going, and why it needs to happen.
Were you surprised when you first learned about Frenchie’s fate?
I wasn’t surprised when I heard from Eric that Frenchie was continuing on to the big field [in the sky]. I had this feeling. I didn’t want to say it out loud. It’s like, at this point, the fifth season, we all felt it. We knew where it was going,
But Frenchie is the empathy and compassion of this series. I actually cried when he was killed off. The empathy is gone, and now we’re left with soulless, terrifying Homelander.
But Kimiko lives.
True, but I haven’t seen the finale. How does Kimiko go on without Frenchie?
Well, let me tell you… [laughs]. I can’t tell, but I can say that I do think Episode 8 is going to blow the audience and fans’ minds with where it goes. That’s the only thing I can say. It evolves into something that resonates.
When it comes to pushing the envelope, “The Boys” is renowned for going where most shows won’t. It drove a speed boat into the side of a whale, imbued superheroes with powers such as toxic vomit and a giant killer penis. Then there was the flying killer sheep. Was there ever a moment too far for you?
Almost every episode has those moments … I remember they told us about the whale, and they said they were still figuring out how. It was a surprise. So I’m driving to set, and it was a sunny day on the shore of Toronto, then all of a sudden, my windshield, everything is covered with this [big shadow], and I’m like what’s going on? Clouds? Is going to rain? The day is ruined! Then I look up and see them [trucking] in a real-size animatronic whale. People that had nothing to do with the show were stopping their cars and looking at this whale moving on the Toronto shore. It was like, OK, here we go.
And there was the musical sequence [in Season 3, Episode 5, when a hospitalized Kimiko imagines her and Frenchie dancing to “I Got Rhythm.”]. Karen and I were on set, and there’s like 30 professional dancers stretching behind us, beautiful and fresh and clean. And we’re looking at each other like, what is this show? What are we doing here? As an actor, you pinch yourself. It’s an experience.
Frenchie (Capone) and Kimiko (Fukuhara) in Season 3’s musical number.
(Amazon Studios)
The musical number, did you actually have to practice the choreography for that?
Oh, day in and day out. I thought I knew how to dance. Apparently I needed some work. Luckily, Karen is a total badass in terms of her commitment, and we practiced it day and night, even working on it off set between other scenes, just working in the movements, trying to get it right. But I learned something very fun about myself. Usually, I don’t like to watch myself on screen, like a lot of actors don’t. From time to time, I would watch an action scene or me fighting because I want to see if I got the choreography right. And I learned that I can watch myself dance too.
With all the fighting in that show, that’s also requires quite a bit of physical acting.
We have the best stunt teams in the business. They made our life very easy compared to the crazy stuff we had to do. Saying that, I don’t miss the harnesses that they put on us. I will not miss that
Harnesses?
I remember when we shot the first episode where Frenchie, Hughie (Jack Quaid)and Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) are captive in the camp. And then I think Starlight flies me off out of the camp. It was like minus 40, snowing. We’re on our harnesses, and we’re just flying away. It’s an experience.
“The Boys” has brilliantly captured the political craziness in America, but told through the world of egotistical superheroes. For example, Homelander claimed he was lord and savior around the same time President Trump posted an AI image of himself as Jesus.
How they predicted some of the stuff, it beats me. You’re going to have to ask Kripke and his writers. But I love that the show tackles all that. For me, portraying Frenchie is about humanity. About how in chaos and in fear and in the craziness of “The Boys’” world, people still choose love and compassion and that’s really the heart of “The Boys.” Or maybe that’s just from Frenchie’s perspective, where it’s all about family, loyalty and protecting the ones you love.
How did you imagine the character of Frenchie when you first learned of the show?
When I got the audition, I didn’t know about the source material. I didn’t know about the novel, or the graphic comic book. So I went online, and I started researching Frenchie. And the first picture that came in was this buzz cut, crazy, goggle-wearing character. I said, what really? Frenchie specifically is illustrated and drawn so different from volume to volume. It gave me so much space to create something in between those worlds. Then picking the brain of Eric Kripke and building a whole story and backup story for the characters. We already knew, in a way, where it was going, so we had the privilege of understanding the arc of the bigger picture for “The Boys.”
Do you have a favorite Frenchie moment?
Yeah, I do, but it’s not what you might expect to hear. It’s from Season 1. There was this scene with Frenchie and Petit Hughie. Hughie comes out of his father’s house [and he’s upset]. I say that I understand because my father was bipolar too, and [he tried to smother me with a] Hello Kitty duvet. It’s just it’s one of those moments when we couldn’t get those two lines out. We kept breaking. I think it’s the longest scene Jack and I ever had in the show. It was something like 14 takes. All the cast and crew were breaking too. It was like, should we just give it up? But I was fighting for it. No, I can do this! Now it’s a [fan] favorite quote. So that means a lot. I fought for that line!
Have you thought about how you’ll console distraught fans once they’ve seen Episode 7?
#1 Taft d. #9 East Valley, 25-23, 23-25, 25-8, 25-18
#4 North Hollywood d. #5 VAAS, 3-2
#3 Cleveland d. #6 Vaughn, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23
#2 Sylmar d. #7 Larchmont Charter, 25-20, 25-18, 25-20
DIVISION II
#1 LA Hamilton d. #8 Huntington Park, 3-0
#4 Marquez d. #5 Bernstein, 3-0
#6 Narbonne d. #3 Diego Rivera, 3-0
#7 Panorama d. #2 LA University, 25-16, 24-26, 25-15, 25-20
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION III
#1 New West Charter d. #17 San Fernando, 25-14, 14-25, 26-24, 25-13
#9 Central City Value d. #8 Foshay, 25-16, 13-25, 17-25, 28-26, 16-14
#5 University Prep Value d. #12 Northridge Academy, 23-25, 29-27, 25-23, 25-22
#13 Birmingham d. #4 Sun Valley Magnet, 25-18, 25-21, 25-20
#3 South East d. #14 Fairfax, 25-15, 25-19, 25-16
#11 Monroe d. #6 Reseda, 25-22, 25-23, 18-25, 25-19
#7 Lincoln d. #10 Animo Bunche, 21-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 15-8
#2 Legacy d. #18 Granada Hills Kennedy, 25-21, 25-22, 25-15
DIVISION IV
#17 Canoga Park d. #1 Hollywood, 25-16, 25-17, 25-20
#8 Annenberg d. #9 LACES, 3-0
#12 Mendez d. #5 Animo South LA, 3-2
#4 Math & Science College d. #20 Chavez, 25-23, 25-18, 29-27
#3 Manual Arts d. #19 West Adams, 3-1
#6 King/Drew d. #11 Animo Robinson, 25-21, 21-25, 19-25, 25-15, 15-11
#7 Maywood CES d. #10 Arleta, 25-23, 24-26, 25-17, 25-16
#2 RFK Community d. #18 Community Charter, 22-25, 26-24, 25-17, 25-22
DIVISION V
#1 WISH Academy d. #17 Garfield, 25-21, 25-14, 25-22
#9 Alliance Levine d. #8 Locke, 25-19, 20-25, 25-23, 25-19
#21 LAAE d. #5 Fulton, 25-20, 24-26, 25-13, 25-20
#13 Rancho Dominguez d. #4 Animo Watts, 22-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 15-13
#14 Franklin D. #3 Jefferson, 25-16, 25-20, 25-23
#6 Gardena d. #11 Stern, 25-13, 25-17, 25-19
#10 Animo De La Hoya d. #7 Horace Mann UCLA, 25-27, 27-25, 25-20, 26-24
#15 Sotomayor d. #2 Bert Corona, 25-20, 25-20, 25-23
Note:Quarterfinals Divisions III-V May 11; Semifinals Open Division-Division I May 12; Semifinals Divisions II-V May 13; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.
#4 Venice d. #5 LA Marshall, 25-23, 21-25, 25-23, 25-19
#3 Chatsworth d. #6 Wilmington Banning, 25-15, 25-20, 26-24
#2 Palisades d. #7 Eagle Rock, 25-16, 25-13, 25-20
SOUTHERN SECTION
QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION 3
Palos Verdes d. Valencia, 26-24, 25-18, 26-24
St. John Bosco at Eastvale Roosevelt, Thursday
Santa Ana Foothill d. Servite, 3-1
Windward d. Crescenta Valley, 25-18, 28-26, 23-25, 25-21
DIVISION 4
Village Christian d. Chino Hills, 3-0
Royal d. Temple City, 3-1
Sunny Hills d. Northwood, 25-22, 25-22, 19-25, 25-16
Crossroads d. San Marino, 25-16, 27-29, 25-21, 25-22
DIVISION 5
El Dorado d. Dos Pueblos, 3-0
Bishop Diego d. Brea Olinda, 23-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 15-10
Bellflower d. Flintridge Prep, 25-21, 26-24, 25-17
Western Christian d. St. Anthony, 22-25, 25-11, 25-18, 20-25, 15-8
DIVISION 6
Temecula Valley d. Beverly Hills, 3-1
Culver City d. Firebaugh, 3-1
Garden Grove d. Capistrano Valley Christian, 3-1
Pasadena Poly d. Santa Ana Calvary Chapel, 3-2
DIVISION 7
Rialto d. La Sierra Academy, 3-2
Foothill Tech d. Cerritos Valley Christian, 3-2
Oakwood d. Knight, 3-2
Tustin d. Indio, 3-2
DIVISION 8
Temescal Canyon d. Santa Rosa Academy, 25-16, 25-19, 25-23
CAMS d. Eastside, 3-0
West Valley d. Burbank Providence, 3-2
Palmdale Aerospace d. Glendale Adventist, 25-23, 27-25, 25-19
DIVISION 9
Tarbut V’Torah d. Webb, 3-1
Le Lycée d. YULA, 25-22, 14-25, 21-25, 25-20,
Vasquez d. Cantwell-Sacred Heart, 3-1
Avalon at Downey Calvary Chapel, Thursday
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
CITY SECTION
QUARTERFINALS
(Matches at 7 p.m. unless noted)
DIVISION I
#9 East Valley at #1 Taft
#5 VAAS at #4 North Hollywood
#6 Vaughn at #3 Cleveland
#7 Larchmont Charter at #2 Sylmar
DIVISION II
#8 Huntington Park at #1 LA Hamilton
#5 Bernstein at #4 Marquez
#6 Narbonne at #3 Diego Rivera
#7 Panorama at #2 LA University
SECOND ROUND
(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)
DIVISION III
#17 San Fernando at #1 New West Charter, 3 p.m.
#9 Central City Value at #8 Foshay
#12 Northridge Academy at #5 University Prep Value
#13 Birmingham at #4 Sun Valley Magnet
#14 Fairfax at #3 South East
#11 Monroe at #6 Reseda
#10 Animo Bunche at #7 Lincoln
#18 Granada Hills Kennedy at #2 Legacy
DIVISION IV
#17 Canoga Park at #1 Hollywood
#9 LACES at #8 Annenberg
#12 Mendez at #5 Animo South LA
#20 Chavez at #4 Math & Science College
#19 West Adams at #3 Manual Arts
#11 Animo Robinson at #6 King/Drew
#10 Arleta at #7 Maywood CES
#18 Community Charter at #2 RFK Community
DIVISION V
#17 Garfield at #1 WISH Academy
#9 Alliance Levine at #8 Locke
#21 LAAE at #5 Fulton
#13 Rancho Dominguez vs. #4 Animo Watts at LA Adventist, 5:30 p.m.
#14 Franklin at #3 Jefferson
#11 Stern at #6 Gardena
#10 Animo De La Hoya at #7 Horace Mann UCLA Community
#15 Sotomayor at #2 Bert Corona
Note:Quarterfinals Divisions III-V May 11; Semifinals Open Division-Division I May 12; Semifinals Divisions II-V May 13; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS TUESDAY’S RESULTS QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION 1 Mira Costa d. Tesoro, 25-18, 25-19, 25-23 Huntington Beach d. Corona del Mar, 3-0 Loyola d. Newport Harbor, 25-16, 25-17, 25-22 Redondo Union d. Santa Margarita, 3-2
DIVISION 2 Orange Lutheran d. Fountain Valley, 25-20, 25-14, 25-16 St. Margaret’s d. San Clemente, 3-0 Camarillo d. Yorba Linda, 3-1 Edison d. Arcadia, 3-1
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
CITY SECTION (Matches at 7 p.m. unless noted) QUARTERFINALS
OPEN DIVISION #8 Carson at #1 Granada Hills #5 LA Marshall at #4 Venice #6 Wilmington Banning at #3 Chatsworth #7 Eagle Rock at #2 Palisades
Note:Second round Divisions I-V May 7; Quarterfinals Divisions I-II May 7; Quarterfinals Divisions III-V May 11; Semifinals Open Division-Division I May 12; Semifinals Divisions II-V May 13; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.
SOUTHERN SECTION (Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted) QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION 3 Valencia at Palos Verdes St. John Bosco at Eastvale Roosevelt, Thursday Servite at Santa Ana Foothill Windward at Crescenta Valley
DIVISION 4 Chino Hills at Village Christian Royal at Temple City Northwood at Sunny Hills San Marino at Crossroads
DIVISION 5 Dos Pueblos at El Dorado Bishop Diego at Brea Olinda Bellflower at Flintridge Prep Western Christian at St. Anthony
DIVISION 6 Beverly Hills at Temecula Valley Culver City at Firebaugh Capistrano Valley Christian at Garden Grove Pasadena Poly at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel
DIVISION 7 La Sierra Academy at Rialto Foothill Tech at Cerritos Valley Christian Oakwood at Knight Tustin at Indio
DIVISION 8 Santa Rosa Academy at Temescal Canyon Eastside vs. CAMS at Lindsey Middle School Burbank Providence at West Valley Glendale Adventist at Palmdale Aerospace
DIVISION 9 Tarbut V’Torah at Webb Le Lycée at YULA Vasquez at Cantwell-Sacred Heart Avalon at Downey Calvary Chapel, Thursday
Note:Semifinals All Divisions May 9; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.
OLIVIA Attwood has taken to social media to thank “all my boys” as she received thousands of pounds worth of designer gifts for her birthday amid her romance heating up with Pete Wicks.
The TV star turned 35-years-old today and was certainly “spoiled” by those close to her.
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Olivia Attwood has been giving fans a sneak peak as she celebrates her 35th birthday todayCredit: GettyThe TV star told how ‘all my boys are spoiling me today’Credit: Instagram
Olivia and her KISS radio co-host Pete were spotted kissing in a Soho bar earlier this year just weeks after her split from footballer Bradley Dack.
The pair then jetted off on a secret holiday enjoying a three-night break at the luxury Lily of the Valley hotel in St Tropez, France.
Taking to her Instagram stories giving fans a sneak peak at her big day, Olivia gushed over her boys, who went all out – getting her lavish gifts from Hermes and Cartier.
Writing over a snap of her new silver Hermes clutch bag, Olivia said: “I can’t,” followed by a slew of crying emojis.
Olivia Attwood was gifted a string of designer presents for her birthdayCredit: InstagramOlivia and Pete Wicks were spotted snogging in a bar in Soho earlier this yearCredit: The SUNThe Loose Women panellist was given a huge bag from CartierCredit: InstagramOlivia was also gifted a bottle of champagne and a card from a mystery person named ‘Savano’Credit: Instagram
Olivia posted another picture of a Cartier bag and she penned: “Screaming throwing up.”
The Loose women panellist then shared a very cryptic snap of a bottle of champagne and an envelope, which said on the front: “Love you! Savano.”
This comes just days after she got the mystery name tattooed on her arm.
Olivia has previously referred to the name “Savano” as “my baby,” which has left fans speculating that she’s referring to former TOWIE star Pete, 37.
While away on their romantic getaway a source close to the pair told The Sun: “They’re dating and enjoying their time together.
“It was at a really quiet, private resort so they were able to properly chill out away from all the drama.”
Elsewhere on her Instagram stories, Olivia uploaded a snap of two of her pals posing with a balloon and flowers. She captioned the picture: “All my boys are spoiling me today.”
Later on, the star shared some behind the scenes of her bougie birthday bash – she could be seen smiling and sipping on a hugo spritz as she prepared to get her makeup done.
