The brutal episode will plunge viewers into another chilling investigation
BBC’s Forensics: The Real CSI returns to BBC Two at 9pm tonight(Image: BBC/Blast Films)
A chilling new episode of a harrowing true crime documentary will be released tonight.
Viewers are once again plunged into a race against time as Forensics: The Real CSI’s brand new series continues, giving fans an unprecedented insight into a local police force. Focusing on the forensic evidence gathered in the search for justice, the documentary, now in its sixth series, has been branded the perfect watch for fans of true crime.
Plunging viewers into complex investigations and searches within the West Midlands Police Force, another brand new episode is set to air tonight (March 15) at 9pm on BBC2 with yet another chilling case.
Tonight’s instalment will investigate a harrowing phone call where one teenage girl calls 999 to say her friend has been attacked as his life hangs in the balance.
A BBC synopsis reads: “It’s the early hours of the morning when a frantic teenage girl calls 999 to say that her friend has been attacked and stabbed in a car park. Police rush to the scene, where they find a 16-year-old boy with a life-threatening stab wound to his stomach.
“While his life hangs in the balance, the case is escalated to West Midlands Police’s homicide team, and forensic investigators get to work. They discover two discarded weapons at the scene – a kitchen knife and a machete.”
The episode will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer shortly after broadcast, with other instalments also available to stream online.
Titled Ambush in the Car Park, the upcoming episode marks the third instalment within the new series, with viewers having to wait every week for new episodes to be released.
Previously, viewers have witnessed a brutal attack in a public phone box with investigators searching for evidence, as well as a young boy who was fatally stabbed on his way home from school with police suspecting a 14 year old, but needing forensic proof.
Viewers claimed the new series has broadcast the “worst” episodes yet, with one saying last week’s instalment was “absolutely shocking”.
Another described the latest series as “unbelievable” as a third said they were “speechless”. A fourth added: “Made me feel sick.”
Spanning across six seasons, the BBC documentary has been branded as the “best ever”, becoming a firm favourite amongst true crime fans.
Taking to TikTok, one true crime fan said the upcoming series was a must watch, adding: “I love this show… they’re really interesting. Some of them are quite brutal what you see.”
One person commented: “Real CSI is my most favourite programme I’ve watched every single series.” Another wrote: “Been waiting so long for a new series.” A third added: “Forensics is one of the best documentaries.”
Forensics: The Real CSI airs tonight at 9pm on BBC Two. For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.
LONDON — Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty are notorious literary foes, but in “Young Sherlock” the duo make the unlikeliest of friends. The Prime Video series premiering Wednesday reimagines the fictional detective’s early years as he investigates a murder case that originates at Oxford, where he first meets his eventual antagonist. Their relationship is the basis of the first season, and in the hands of actors Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Dónal Finn, it’s particularly electric.
“I was always interested in the Moriarty character because he’s a hugely iconic villain,” says showrunner Matthew Parkhill. Guy Ritchie, who directs and is an executive producer on the series, tapped him to expand on an idea for a show that revealed Sherlock’s evolution into the detective we know and love.
“He’s mentioned in four books, but he’s only ever in one,” Parkhill adds, speaking from London’s Rosewood Hotel during a press day in late February. “Why are these guys such great enemies? If a great friendship turns sour, it can become a great rivalry. But the story is basically going to be how this incredible friendship unravels.”
Tiffin, who previously worked with Ritchie in 2024’s “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” auditioned to play Sherlock while on vacation in Thailand. Parkhill responded to the “sense of innocence and wonder” Tiffin brought to the long-established character, who is 19 during the events of this season. After being cast, he did a series of chemistry reads with several actors up for Moriarty. Finn had been one of the last tapes Parkhill had watched, but the showrunner was immediately captivated by his “magnetism and intensity and charm.”
“Very quickly it became apparent that there was this energy and the chemistry they had together,” Parkhill says. “For me, they’re two sides of the same coin. What we’ll explore if we get to carry on even more is why one chooses one path and one chooses another. Dónal had a charm and these flashes of darkness.”
In “Young Sherlock,” Moriarty (Dónal Finn), left, and Sherlock (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) become friends at Oxford.
(Daniel Smith / Prime)
Both actors could feel it as well. “When Dónal came in within 2½ seconds I realized I need to bring my A-game because he was going to make me look bad otherwise,” says Tiffin, 28, speaking alongside Finn at the Rosewood later that day. “Once we started filming, we were on the same wavelength. We weren’t coming in and trying to go toe-to-toe and test each other, but we were collaborating and working towards the same goal.”
“The most dramatic version of this show was if an unstoppable force meets an immovable object and there’s an equality in what they do,” adds Finn, 30. “That required both of us to make each other look as good as we could.”
“Young Sherlock” is inspired by but not based on Andrew Lane’s “Young Sherlock Holmes” book series. Although it sees Ritchie returning to the world of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the show is not a prequel to the director’s 2009 film “Sherlock Holmes” nor its 2011 sequel, which starred Robert Downey Jr. as the titular character.
“This is a different universe,” Parkhill confirms. “They are cousins in terms of tone. But Guy’s not the same director he was when he made those. The things he was interested in exploring now were also different. But we wanted the show to have that same irreverence.”
He adds, “The most basic thing for me was: What makes him become this person? He’s on the cusp of trying to find his place in the world and his sense of self, which makes it an interesting period of his life to explore.”
“When Dónal came in within 2½ seconds I realized I need to bring my A-game because he was going to make me look bad otherwise,” says Tiffin, right, posing with Finn.
(Evelyn Freja / For The Times)
The eight-episode series opens with a flashback to Sherlock’s childhood, revealing the loss of his sister Beatrice. Her death has sent a ripple effect through his family — his mother, Cordelia (Natascha McElhone), is in an asylum and his father, Silas (Joseph Fiennes), has departed. Sherlock himself has been incarcerated, much to the dismay of his older brother Mycroft (Max Irons), a civil servant who pulls a few strings to get Sherlock out of prison. Sherlock accepts a job as a servant at Oxford, where he meets Moriarty. The pair investigate a murder at the university involving Princess Gulun Shou’an (Zine Tseng), which eventually is far more complex than they could have imagined.
“The plot has got to be clear enough that the audience can go on this journey with us, but difficult and mysterious enough that Sherlock doesn’t guess it straight away,” Finn says. “I have a great admiration for Matthew for managing that, and also giving each character a role to play in that journey.”
One of those characters is Silas, Sherlock’s adventuring father who doesn’t appear until the end of Episode 4. Parkhill approached Fiennes, Tiffin’s uncle, to play the role.
“When I sat down with Matthew, I thought, ‘Oh, God, is this a gimmicky thing of getting family members?’” says Fiennes in a separate interview. “But I quickly felt, ‘No, it’s not.’ It felt very natural and it’s a gift to play family members with family. Actors are always trying to research and unearth and unpack to get to that state, but we could walk on set and already have that.”
Tiffin and Fiennes hadn’t previously worked together, but they found a rhythm quickly when Fiennes arrived a few months into production in Wales. Episode 5, a chapter of the saga that pits Sherlock against his father and reckons with their history, felt like a real moment of collaboration.
Joseph Fiennes plays Sherlock Holmes’ father, Silas, in “Young Sherlock.” The actor is Tiffin’s uncle: “It felt very natural and it’s a gift to play family members with family.”
(Daniel Smith / Prime)
“We were four months into shooting, so I’d built this confidence up, and then Joe comes in and I shrunk back into the shell of myself,” Tiffin says. “I’d love to put it down to acting, but that’s definitely my relationship with Joe seeping through. It’s good because Silas has been absent in Sherlock’s life for a while, and Sherlock wants to please and impress him too.”
He describes an “unspoken, innate, really deep, almost inaccessible thing” between himself and his uncle. “When I opened the doors at the end of Episode 4 and see Joe, I’ve opened my front door at my parents’ house when he’s come over for dinner when I’m 6 years old,” Tiffin says.
Ritchie directed the first two episodes and then handed off the reins, but his signature style is infused through the series. It has a contemporary bent despite the 1870s setting, with modern music used as the soundtrack. It’s full of action and momentum, much like Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes” films, but here the character is still finding his footing. When we meet Sherlock, he’s not an established detective and he has no idea how to properly fight.
“I do have to admit from watching Robert Downey Jr. in Guy Ritchie’s movies, especially as a young boy, he was the epitome of cool,” Tiffin says. “So it was a complete surprise to me that my Sherlock was not just going to not be able to fight, but was terrible at defending himself. ”
Moriarty, however, is far better equipped, teaching Sherlock how to defend himself. Finn relished working with Ritchie, whose fight scenes are a signature of his work.
“They’re brilliant, but he knows that we see fight sequences every day and wants to make them special,” Finn says. “He knows how to sprinkle them with humor or to film them in a way you don’t expect.”
“I do have to admit from watching Robert Downey Jr. in Guy Ritchie’s movies, especially as a young boy, he was the epitome of cool,” says Tiffin about the “Sherlock Holmes” films.
(Evelyn Freja / For The Times)
“They’re also not one-dimensional,” Tiffin adds. “The fight always informs something. It’s never just two people fighting.”
Tiffin had a lot of previous iterations of Sherlock to draw from, as well as the novels themselves. He visited the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London ahead of shooting. He pulled from his longtime love of Downey’s portrayal, but he wanted to make the character his own.
“A big thing for us was making sure that our characters show signs of becoming the characters who are fully developed in Conan Doyle’s works,” he says. “They need to be close enough, but still have room to grow. Sherlock hasn’t been exposed to the hardships of the world yet, so he still has this youthful energy. If we get more seasons, we will see Sherlock lose that.”
There are fewer cinematic touchpoints for Moriarty, although Andrew Scott famously played him in the BBC’s adaptation alongside Benedict Cumberbatch. Finn had a photograph of Scott on his wall during drama school.
“It’s hard not to be inspired by what people have done before you, but you also have to draw the line somewhere,” Finn says. “And these aren’t iterations of the characters we’ve seen before. We have the opportunity to map out what events or what choices they make that shape the person we know.”
There are nods to the more established versions throughout the series, including Sherlock picking up his iconic hat in a shop and Moriarty rejecting it. Several of Sherlock’s famous lines from the novels are actually spoken first by Moriarty, who repeatedly emphasizes that he is not a sidekick but an equal.
“There are these great moments when these characters have left a mark on each other,” Finn says. “If you’re a fan of the Sherlock Holmes canon, you’ll notice them.”
“Its so fun and interesting planting those seeds,” Tiffin adds. “Not only is it fun to explore in our story, but it makes you understand Conan Doyle’s works in a different way and enriches that. Everything about the idea of Moriarty and Sherlock being enemies is enriched by the idea that they were once friends.”
“There are these great moments when these characters have left a mark on each other,” Finn says. “If you’re a fan of the Sherlock Holmes canon, you’ll notice them.”
(Evelyn Freja / For The Times)
There are a few glimmers of Moriarty’s future sensibility, although for the most part Sherlock and Moriarty remain steadfast pals. For Fiennes, this “bromance” is the heart of the story alongside the familial dynamic between Sherlock and Silas.
“You get these two incredibly intelligent misfits who are out of joint with the social world that they’re in,” Fiennes says. “Oxford, the mothership of intellect, is devoid of spirituality, and these two misfits have this spirit we love. We want to hang with them because of their mischievous nature. We know it will all come crashing down and feed into the characters we know later.”
“They are both looking for some sense of connection,” Finn adds. “And so it makes the friendship a really true friendship. It’s rare for both of these characters to feel that they find someone who is an intellectual match. It enriches the idea that when there is a rivalry it’s not just because of opposing moral views. What if it’s driven by revenge or heartbreak or betrayal?”
Parkhill has mapped out several potential future seasons of “Young Sherlock.” The finale concludes with a cliffhanger and a possible new mystery. The showrunner plans to take the show as far as 1887’s “A Study in Scarlet,” the first of Doyle’s novels, and then pass the baton back to literature.
“We will never go past that book, which psychologically gave me a freedom I needed to do this series,” Parkhill says. “We’re aware of the stories, but we used them as a playground in which to play instead of drawing from them directly.”
“We’ve shown signs of them eventually being able to become these more developed characters that Doyle established, but we need to document that journey,” Tiffin adds. “I will never feel complete until I can finish that journey and arrive at 221b Baker Street and meet John Watson and draw a line through the word ‘young.’”
A Killer Makes A Call is a Channel 5 documentary that plunges viewers into the real life drama and urgency when a call is made to 999. But there’s a twist, as things are not as they first appear.
With each episode centered around a different case, the series so far has seen three instalments released, each with its own harrowing investigation at its heart. As Channel 5 teases: “The call comes through. Murder. But maybe the caller isn’t as innocent as they seem…”
The true crime documentary series instead focusing on instances where the perpetrator has made a call to the emergency services, often posing as a distressed witness or victim to avoid suspicion.
Branded as a perfect watch for fans of true crime, the harrowing series plunges viewers into each chilling investigation, examining why killers make a call to 999 and how they use that to create false narratives until detectives uncover the truth.
True crime fans will be pleased to know that A Killer Makes A Call returns to Channel 5 this evening with yet another disturbing case. It will air at 10pm on the channel.
The repeat episode, from series two, explores the moment a devastated family deal with their son’s fatal overdose. Carrying out their own investigation into what happened, the family soon find some surprising evidence.
Channel 5 teases: “When a family refuse to accept their son Jack died of an overdose, they undertake their own investigation, and identify a man with Jack the night that he died. Dots are joined, connecting four murders.”
With expert testimonies as well as heartbreaking family statements, viewers will witness how investigations were carried out as well as the reasonings behind the crimes.
First airing on Channel 5 back in 2024, the documentary series has become a popular choice amongst true crime fans with with many branded previous episodes as ‘sickening’.
Taking to social media, one person previously said: “Just watched this episode of #AKillerMakesACall on @channel5_tv. The verdict was quite sickening.” Another added: “Turned my stomach #akillermakesacall.” A third praised: “Great TV.”
The docuseries has also been branded as “wild” as another said it was “definitely one to watch.” Over on TikTok, one viewer said: “It’s definitely worth a binge watch if you like a true crime”, as another commented they had “binged” the episodes in one sitting.
A Killer Makes a Call airs tonight at 10pm on Channel 5. Episodes are also available to stream on 5 online.
For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.
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Shane Hollander’s (Hudson Williams) cottage, featured in the season finale of the HBO Max hit “Heated Rivalry,” will be available to rent starting March 3 at 9 a.m. Pacific, according to a statement by Airbnb. The Lake Muskoka listing can be booked for $248.10 CAD (about $180 U.S.) per night, an homage to Shane and Ilya’s (Connor Storrie) jersey numbers, 24 and 81.
The Barlochan cottage will host four early access bookings from May 8-10, May 16-18, May 22-24 and May 29-31, before opening for regular bookings, with the property listed exclusively on Airbnb.
“Every great story deserves the perfect setting. Airbnb is inviting guests to Barlochan cottage — which has captivated screens big and small this winter — allowing fans to book and experience the private haven in real life on the shores of Lake Muskoka,” Airbnb wrote.
In “Heated Rivalry,” Shane and Ilya escape to the cottage during their off-season for a private, romantic getaway as the couple hides its relationship from the public. Ilya agrees to attend after being inspired by a fellow hockey player, Scott (François Arnaud), who publicly came out after winning the hockey championship in Episode 5. As Scott kisses his partner on live television, Ilya calls Shane to tell him he’ll come to the cottage.
“That’s then part of the structure of giving 5 that big rom-com movie star ending to [Arnaud], so that I can have a quiet ending with Shane and Ilya,” series creator Jacob Tierney told Entertainment Weekly in December.
At the cottage, Shane and Ilya confess their love for one another, swim in the lake and watch the Lake Muskoka sunsets. According to the listing, the three-bedroom cottage features nearly 400 feet of private waterways, outdoor activities like kayaks and canoes and an exercise room.
Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov and Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander in the Season 1 finale of “Heated Rivalry.”
(Sabrina Lantos / HBO)
Airbnb also noted that “travelers have been eager to embark on their own private cottage getaway,” with a 40% increase in property searches in Muskoka since the finale aired in late December.
“Heated Rivalry” became a cultural phenomenon this winter despite the project’s small budget. The show, based on the “Game Changers” book series by Rachel Reid, was produced by Bell Media’s Crave in Canada. After the show was licensed by HBO Max, fans flocked to the series, with an average of 10.6 million viewers per episode in the U.S., according to Warner Bros. Discovery.
So while “Heated Rivalry” fans wait for the second season — set to premiere in spring 2027 — they’ll now be able to take their own trip to the cottage.
Ira Parker intended the very last scene of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” Episode 6 (titled “The Morrow”), to be just “something that was a little funny.”
Sunday’s season finale of the HBO fantasy series ends with everyone, including the royal Targaryen entourage, departing Ashford after the conclusion of the trial and tournament. Just before the credits roll, Prince Maekar, who notices his young son Aegon is once again missing, frantically shouts, “Where the f— is he?”
“To be honest, the very, very, very end was almost just meant as a joke,” the showrunner says during a recent video call. “But I think people — both in my writing camp and in the HBO camp and probably in the world — took that quite literally. So I’ve maybe had to deal with it a little bit more in Season 2 than I was planning to.”
“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” showrunner Ira Parker, right, with director Sarah Adina Smith on the set of the fantasy series.
(Steffan Hill / HBO)
Starring Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall and Dexter Sol Ansell as Prince Aegon Targaryen, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is an adaptation of George R.R. Martin novellas set in the same world as his “A Song of Ice and Fire” series. These “Tales of Dunk and Egg” stories take place around 100 years before the events depicted in “Game of Thrones.”
The moment in question could be a big deal for some fans of Martin’s novellas. The scene is not included in “The Hedge Knight,” the book upon which the first season of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is based. Whether Egg had Maekar’s permission to join Dunk’s travels as his squire is left more open ended in the novella itself.
While the young prince said he had his father’s blessing, “it’s not confirmed canonically” in the book, says Parker. “We haven’t done anything egregious here, I don’t think. [And] I believe it from a character perspective. I believe that Egg would do that again, because he’s already done it. We’ve seen him. He runs away. That’s sort of his thing. And he lies to people.”
Without sharing any details, Parker teases the situation will be addressed again next season.
Dunk (Peter Claffey) in the season finale of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”
(Steffan Hill / HBO)
The showrunner, who co-created the series with Martin, admits that approaching “The Morrow” was “daunting.” Set in the aftermath of Trial of Seven, Episode 6 involved “a lot of creation” to stretch out the remaining events from the source material.
“Very early on, all of us knew that we weren’t going to add any story,” says Parker, who previously worked on “Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon.” “The story is the story. We’re going to be 100% faithful to the novellas in that respect. But where we could add, because we needed about another 50% of material in order to fill out even our six 30-minute episodes, was going to be in the characters.”
This has meant the show has spent more time with the very relatable Dunk and his precocious charge Egg. Its supporting ensemble including Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) and Raymun Fossoway (Shaun Thomas), who give Dunk a helping hand, have also been more fleshed out. This has allowed audiences to just “enjoy hanging out in this world.”
“I wasn’t always convinced that people would allow us to do it,” Parker says. “Hanging out in Westeros. It meant a little bit of a slower start. Luckily, people have come along with us on the ride. … We really just hoped that people would be charmed enough by these characters and the story and want good things for Dunk.”
Like “The Hedge Knight,” the episode concludes by teasing Dunk and Egg’s journey to Dorne, but Parker confirms Season 2 will be an adaptation of the second novella, “The Sworn Sword,” which takes place a year and a half or so after the events of “The Hedge Knight” and sees the pair in a part of the Reach.
“I love ‘The Sworn Sword’ because I think it’s very funny, and I think the sort of ‘will they / won’t they’ between Dunk and Lady Rohanne is just good territory for us,” he says. (Parker said they considered setting Season 2 in Dorne but that it would have taken too much time to flesh out the story even with Martin’s notes.)
In a conversation edited for clarity and length, Parker discussed his collaboration with Martin, every aspect of the show being a reflection of Dunk, and “A Knight of the Nine Kingdoms.”
Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings), left, and Dunk (Peter Claffey) while a maester (Paul Murphy) looks over the injured hedge knight.
(Steffan Hill / HBO)
The show is called “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” but in the finale, Egg points out to Dunk that there are actually nine kingdoms in Westeros. Can you explain that moment and actually showing the alternate title card?
The situation is so overwrought in this episode. With Baelor’s death and with everything that Egg has gone through, which we see him struggling with. Where Dunk’s head is at, going off alone again. The fact that they both get together is wonderful and uplifting, but we sort of had to reassure the audience — that even though Egg is now officially a prince and Dunk knows that, and this tragedy has come to pass between the two of them, the core of that relationship, what we learned to love about their relationship before all of this happened, actually still remains. So that was the importance of having a type of conversation like that. It didn’t necessarily have to be the conversation about the kingdoms, but just Egg, in his way, making sure that Dunk never feels like he knows anything. And it is a wink to the audience and to the fans [who have raised questions about the number], but we’re not changing the name of the show.
You mention Egg’s struggles and we do see just how much anger he has toward his brother Aerion in this episode. What were your thoughts on depicting that onscreen and what it says about Egg?
I talked to George a little bit about Egg and his motivations early on, and George said kids feel disappointment more acutely and that that is a huge part of it. It’s not to be discounted. I don’t want to go out there and say it’s because of Targaryen trauma and everything he’s been through. He’s a boy. Things were happening that were very nice for him that he was very happy about. Then it was all taken away and he blames people. He feels like he’s caused all these problems [for others], and when that doesn’t have a place to land, that’s what turns into anger. It just sort of brews up inside of you.
He sees Aerion as the true cause of all this. At that young age, he doesn’t know how to undirect that. He has some sort of a father there in Maekar. But the fact that he ends up with Dunk, that’s the whole story of Episode 6. Is Dunk, after all this, going to decide to save this kid who is just going to be thrown to the wolves otherwise? Who’s not going to get what he needs to direct his frustration and his disappointments to good energy targets? Kids who have that end up, generally, in better situations than kids who don’t.
It’s very important for me to show the importance of having a mentor in your life. We’re obviously very thematically about fathers and sons, knights and squires, and, to a certain extent brothers. But it is, at the core of it, what it is to have a teacher. Dunk had that in Ser Arlan. Dunk certainly has no obligation to do anything for this family at this point and he does it … because it was done for him. So he’s paying it forward, being a benefit to the person next to him.
Dunk (Peter Claffey) is ready for his next journey.
(Steffan Hill / HBO)
That’s one thing that sets Dunk apart. He’s one of the few people we see in this world who believes in doing good and that that’s what he’s supposed to be doing.
There’s an addition to that, which is that he wants so badly to do good and do right by his mentor who taught him what a knight was supposed to be. But there is this feeling that the world isn’t going to let you do that. We see somebody like Ned Stark, who’s very honorable, [but] probably suffered ultimately from his naivety — his belief in others. Dunk, I think, has one extra level. Or maybe I’m just projecting that onto him because sometimes I think about how to protect myself in this world where not everybody always has the best intentions. You so badly want to do good, but then there’s also the reality of that, and a big part of Dunk’s early journey in this world is learning those lessons.
Maybe that’s just because my head is also stuck in Book Two, where I think that is brought even more to the forefront. But he’s never going to change. He’s always going to be hopeful.
You did a Reddit AMA recently and you responded to someone who had asked about the show’s production budget that everything in this show was a reflection of the lead character. Can you explain what you meant by that?
It’s very chilling at the beginning to realize that you have one [point of view] character, but then when you realize how many facets go into making up that one person — from costumes, cinematography, music, everything — you realize you actually are telling a lot of different stories, just about one person and how they relate to the world. You have to make sure that that is one hell of an immersive experience, because it’s not like you could just have an audience member tune out if they don’t like the Dunk story this week. We had to make you feel in every single episode that you are in that situation, that you can somehow relate to Dunk and what he’s going through. This is because it’s about to get even tougher for him. Hopefully the people who come to us for the light, fun, enjoyable take on Westeros will stick with us through some of the harder, trickier, grimmer moments. Because this is George R.R. Martin’s world, and it gets dangerous.
But it was actually a very nice, natural way for us to differentiate ourselves [from the other shows]. We’re not a prequel. These are novellas that have existed for 30 years. It’s more organic. Rather than being so grand and epic in scale, it’s still small and simple and hopeful. [Dunk’s] still basically just a kid. It’s two kids setting out to have a little bit of fun. There’s got to be some some whimsy about it. That very easily allowed us to find our own voice.
Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) has a lot of anger for his older brother.
(Steffan Hill / HBO)
How is it like to work with George R.R. Martin?
He has been wonderfully collaborative. It’s been the most fulfilling creative partnership of my whole life. A lot of people can start out in this industry reading your stuff and telling you what they think is wrong without asking you why you did something the way that you did it. Giving you the benefit of the doubt and the conversation jumping off from there, George is very good at that. Whenever he would call me about a new script, we’d talk out what’s in my head in the version of events that led me down this path. And then he talks about why he either did it another way or has issues with it. It becomes a very natural conversation. It’s an extension of a writer’s room with a living legend, one of the greatest living writers in the world today. He just likes talking about this stuff with you, and I like talking about it with him.
What were your earliest conversations with him about “Dunk and Egg” like? Did you already have an idea of how you wanted to do the show before you talked to him?
I swung pretty wildly at the beginning from the point where HBO sent it to me — where I thought “Game of Thrones” shows are 10 episodes, an hourlong each, how could we possibly do that with these three novellas — to finding out what HBO’s intentions were for it, finding out what George’s intentions were for it. Having conversations with George about what he likes, why Dunk is his sole POV character. Why, for example, he never wrote any Egg chapters. He has so many specific thoughts on all of this that that really helped inform what my approach was going to be.
I think it was very important for me to go into that first meeting, when I flew to Santa Fe to meet him, with a mile-high preparation. I knew everything possibly in and around this world and these characters, and I had a lot of pitches, if it came to that. But I didn’t go in there and lead with that. I just went and I sat down and we had conversations. I asked a lot of questions and I listened a lot. And then I went back and I re-formed and I went off and wrote a pilot. Then we were off to the races.
Raymun Fossoway (Shaun Thomas), left, was a true friend to Dunk (Peter Claffey).
(Steffan Hill / HBO)
You worked on “House of the Dragon,” which is such a different show, even though it’s in the same world. How did your time there affect how you wanted to approach this show?
That room was one of my favorite rooms that I’ve ever been in. Ryan Condal is a true writer’s writer. He has so much love for this world. It’s funny because everybody thinks comedy rooms are just so funny all the time, everybody’s cracking jokes, and drama rooms are so serious because of the material. It’s actually often the exact opposite. In drama, because comedy is not currency, everybody’s just cracking jokes all the time. And Ryan has such a sharp wit; we share a very similar sense of humor. I think it was him who put me forward for this to HBO when they were looking for a writer for “Dunk and Egg,” and I’m very grateful.
Our room for “Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” was very different. We hired all drama writers, just people that have different sensibilities. I felt like I was living my very best days. We had 11 days in that writer’s room because the writers’ strike shut us down so quickly, but we knew that that was coming up. So we got going as fast as we possibly could and we broke as much as we could. Then I assigned scripts the very last day. But those 11 days in that room, I think we broke, ultimately, 20 seasons of a show by accident.
We were having so much fun, we were creating it all for the first season. We did it all for six episodes. As soon as we got back from the strike, a few of my writers were just like, “How do you expect us to write 35-minute episodes with these beats to be broken?” We pulled it a lot, lot back from what that was, but writers rooms are the happiest place on Earth, or least lonely place on Earth. It’s not always happy — it’s hard sometimes.
The latest episode of Ryan Murphy’s JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette show features a mysterious warning letter
23:09, 21 Feb 2026Updated 23:18, 21 Feb 2026
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette previewed
*Warning – this article contains minor spoilers for Love Story.*
Ryan Murphy’s newest series has thrust the turbulent romance of John F. Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette back into public consciousness.
The fourth instalment of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette arrived this Friday (February 20) and explored a troubling chapter in the pair’s relationship.
During a casual American football match, John (portrayed by Paul Anthony Kelly) discovers a letter in his gym bag containing damning claims about his new partner, Carolyn (Sarah Pidgeon).
Whilst the programme takes creative freedom with particular aspects of the celebrated couple’s narrative, the letter reportedly existed and apparently caused JFK Jr. and Bessette to separate, reports the Daily Record.
Did JFK Jr receive a letter about Carolyn Bessette?
As viewers will be aware, Love Story draws inspiration from Elizabeth Beller’s biography entitled Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
In the book, Beller alleges that JFK Jr. was given a scathing letter about Bessette in 1992, precisely when their romance was flourishing.
Whilst the programme depicts John challenging Carolyn about the accusations at his apartment, the biography suggests they actually engaged in a public row during an evening meal at iconic eatery El Teddy’s.
Based on Beller’s account, the couple separated for a year following the devastating letter, before reuniting in 1993.
For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.
Who wrote the letter?
Beller doesn’t disclose the writer’s name. Nevertheless, she explains that they “came from a milieu of boarding schools, Ivy League universities, and ‘old money’ families of New York”.
She continued that it supposedly took Bessette several years to uncover who penned the note, but upon learning the identity, she proceeded to “freeze them out”.
Bessette and JFK Jr wed in an intimate ceremony in September 1996. The pair tragically perished together in an aircraft accident in July 1999.
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette is streaming on Disney+
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The epic series, which takes its cue from George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, is comprised of six half-hour episodes.
Here’s a look at when you can watch the final episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms after a recent schedule change due to the Super Bowl.
When does A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 6 come out?
In the UK, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode six – titled The Morrow – will be airing on Monday, February 23 at 3am GMT on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
The episode will then be available on NOW for those to watch on demand if they didn’t stay up in the early hours to watch the season one finale.
Sky Atlantic will then be repeating the episode at 9pm for those who didn’t stay up to watch the Transatlantic simulcast.
Meanwhile, in the USA, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode six will be on HBO on Sunday, February 22 at 10pm and will be available to watch on HBO Max.
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What will happen in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode six?
HBO previously dropped a sneak peek at the forthcoming season one finale, which shows Ser Duncan ‘Dunk’ the Tall (played by Peter Claffey) talking to Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) in the aftermath of the Trial of Seven.
Dunk feels deeply guilty for the death of Baelor ‘Breakspear’ Targaryen (Bertie Carvel) as the Targaryens conduct his funeral.
Valarr Targaryen (Oscar Morgan) says to a despondent Dunk: “He had it in him to be great king. Why would the god take him and leave you?”
Dunk responds: “I’ve wondered the same.”
The scene cuts to Maekar Targaryen (Sam Spruell) speaking to Dunk about how much his son Aegon ‘Egg’ Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell) wishes only to squire for him and no other knight.
However, it looks like Dunk doesn’t want any more to do with Egg after the fallout from the Trial of Seven and responds to Maekar: “I think I’m done with princes.”
The preview ends on an ambiguous note as Egg tells Dunk: “Maybe you’re not the knight I thought you were.”
Although the show might be coming to an end, season two is already in the works after HBO confirmed that it had renewed A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms for another outing.
The recommission was announced back in November 2025, even before the first episode had hit screens.
Along with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, House of the Dragon was renewed for season four ahead of its highly-anticipated third season premiere this June.
HBO executive Francesca Orsi said at the time: “We are thrilled to be able to deliver new seasons of these two series for the next three years, for the legion of fans of the Game of Thrones universe.
“Together, House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms reveal just how expansive and richly imagined George R. R. Martin’s universe continues to be.
“In January, I think audiences will be delighted by the inspiring underdog tale of Dunk and Egg that George and Ira Parker have so beautifully captured.
“And this Summer, House of the Dragon is set to ignite once again with some of its most epic battles yet.”
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ series finale will air on HBO Max and HBO in the USA tonight at 10PM ET and on NOW and Sky Atlantic tomorrow at 3am GMT
**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**
Now, two months after the tragedy, the comedian has broken his silence about the death of his good friends.
“To have that experience of saying good night to somebody and having them leave and then find out the next day that they’re gone … I think I was in shock for quite a while afterward,” O’Brien said in an interview for “The New Yorker Radio Hour” podcast. “I mean, there’s no other word for it. It’s just very — it’s so awful. It’s just so awful.”
As host of the Dec. 13 party, O’Brien was among the last people to see the Reiners alive. Their 32-year-old son, Nick, was arrested the following night and charged with murdering his parents. Two sources who attended the party described witnessing a loud verbal exchange between Nick Reiner and his parents.
In an interview published Friday, O’Brien said he and his wife were very close with the couple, describing them as “just such lovely people.”
O’Brien praised Rob Reiner’s talent as a director and his tireless advocacy efforts. The “When Harry Met Sally …” director was a prominent Democratic donor, noted critic of President Trump and a champion for causes such as early childhood education and gay marriage.
“I think about how Rob felt about things that are happening in the country, how involved he was, how much he put himself out there — and to have that voice go quiet in an instant is still hard for me to comprehend,” O’Brien told The New Yorker.
O’Brien said he considers Reiner “one of the greats” given his impressive track record of directing a series of blockbuster movies.
“To make seven — in, like, a nine-year, 10-year, 11-year period — is insanity,” O’Brien said. “With ‘Spinal Tap’ alone, if that’d been the only thing he ever did, he influenced my generation enormously.”
O’Brien fondly recalled first watching the rock mockumentary “This is Spinal Tap” in college, calling it a “splitting-the-atom moment.”
The pair were not only friends, but also collaborators. Reiner was a guest on a 1999 episode of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” and also appeared on episodes of O’Brien’s podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” in 2023 and 2025.
Authorities allege Nick Reiner fatally stabbed his 78-year-old father and 70-year-old mother at their Brentwood home sometime in the early morning hours of Dec. 14. The couple’s bodies were discovered in the master bedroom by their daughter around 12 hours later, and Nick Reiner was arrested that night in South L.A. by Los Angeles police.
Nick Reiner was charged with two counts of first-degree murder on Dec. 16 and has yet to enter a plea. In January, his arraignment was postponed to Monday after his lawyer, famed defense attorney Alan Jackson, stepped down and was replaced by a public defender.
Nick Reiner has a history of struggles with mental health and substance use. It is unclear how prominently those struggles will feature in criminal proceedings.
Times staff writers James Queally and Richard Winton contributed to this report.
Actor Eric Dane, best known for wooing “Grey’s Anatomy” audiences as plastic surgeon Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan, has died following a public battle with ALS.
A TV star whose career spanned from “Saved by the Bell” to “Euphoria” and beyond, Dane died Thursday, his publicist announced in a statement. He was 53.
“With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS. He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” the statement reads. “Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”
Dane publicized his ALS diagnosis in April 2025. A former competitive swimmer and water polo player, he said ALS — also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease — initially caused the right side of his body to stop working. Prior to his death, the actor channeled his personal experiences with the condition to portray a firefighter living with ALS on TV and advocated for legislation related to the condition.
In Shonda Rhimes’ “Grey’s Anatomy,” Dane’s Sloan was a welcome addition to Seattle Grace Hospital’s staff of heartthrobs who couldn’t seem to keep their gloved hands off each other amid shifts of wild and dramatic cases. He first appeared in Season 2 of “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2006. Sloan, within minutes of his arrival, takes a punch to the face from Patrick Dempsey’s Dr. Derek Shepherd and introduces himself to Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey as one of the fellow “dirty mistresses” who broke up Shepherd’s marriage to ex-wife Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh).
Dane had initially agreed to appear in only one episode of the long-running ABC drama, but remained a fixture — and eye candy for fans — for more than 130 episodes until 2012. Nicknamed “McSteamy” for his looks, Sloan pursued relationships with Drs. Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh), Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) and Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) over the course of Dane’s tenure. His character was killed off early in Season 9 after a devastating Season 8 plane crash that also claimed the life of Leigh’s Lexie.
In 2021, Dane returned to “Grey’s Anatomy” for a cameo in Meredith’s COVID-19-induced dreams.
Prior to breaking out with “Grey’s,” Dane played minor roles in series including “Saved by the Bell, “Roseanne,” “Gideon’s Crossing” and “Charmed.” Dane followed up his “Grey’s Anatomy” tenure with appearances on the ABC spinoff “Private Practice,” a leading role in TNT’s “The Last Ship” and a stint as a secretive real estate developer and dad in HBO’s teen drama “Euphoria.”
He also appeared in several movies following “Grey’s Anatomy,” including “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “Marley & Me,” “Burlesque” and Garry Marshall’s “Valentine’s Day,” which reunited him with co-star Dempsey.
Dane did not plan to be an actor until he unexpectedly landed a role in his high school’s production of Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons,” but he “fell in love with it,” he told the Gulf Times in 2014.
“I was like this is the greatest feeling ever,” he added.
Eric William Dane was born Nov. 9, 1972, in San Francisco. His father, a Navy man-turned-architect, died of a gunshot wound when the actor was 7, leaving his mother to raise her two children with assistance from her parents.
Dane attended Sequoia High School and San Mateo High School but dropped out prior to graduation to pursue acting in Los Angeles.
He partied often in his 20s and first entered rehab at age 26. Amid his “Grey’s Anatomy” fame, Dane struggled with addition to painkillers and prescription medicine. He relapsed in 2007 during the Writer’s Guild of America strike, he recalled in 2024.
Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart bring their daughters to the March 2015 world premiere of “Cinderella” in L.A.
(Richard Shotwell / Invision / Associated Press)
“If you take the whole eight years I was on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ I was f— up longer than I was sober and that was when things started going sideways for me,” he said at the time. Notably, he entered rehab again in 2011 to address issues with prescription drugs he had been prescribed for a sports injury.
Dane also spoke openly about his struggles with depression, which reached a head in 2017 amid production on his series “The Last Ship.” During a 2017 “Today” appearance, Dane explained that he was taking medication to manage the disorder, which he said hit him “like a truck.”
“I had to take some time off,” he said at the time. “I went away, I took care of it, and I’m feeling great.”
Dane married “Loving” actor and model Rebecca Gayheart in 2004 in Las Vegas the same day he proposed to her. Infamously, their relationship was subject to scrutiny when in 2009 leaked video showed the spouses in the nude and intoxicated lounging in a bathtub with actor Kari Ann Peniche. Marty Singer, attorney for the spouses at the time, dismissed the controversy.
However, the couple separated in 2017 and Gayheart filed to divorce Dane in 2018, but the split was never finalized. Then in March 2025, right before he went public with his ALS, she filed a request to dismiss the original petition.
In Dane’s role after revealing his diagnosis, he appeared in an episode of the NBC medical drama “Brilliant Minds” as a heroic firefighter struggling to tell his family he has ALS. The episode aired in late November; Gayheart revealed in a late December New York magazine essay that the actor was receiving 24/7 nursing care and she was covering most of the caregivers’ missed shifts.
“We haven’t lived in the same home for eight years; he’s dated other people, I’ve dated someone,” Gayheart wrote in the essay, which discussed Dane’s diagnosis and how it had affected the family. “It’s a very complicated relationship, one that’s confusing for people. Our love may not be romantic, but it’s a familial love. Eric knows that I am always going to want the best for him. That I’m going to do my best to do right by him. And I know he would do the same for me.
“So whatever I can do or however I can show up to make this journey better for him or easier for him, I want to do that,” she continued. “And I want to model that for my girls: That’s what you do. That’s the right thing to do.”
Dane is survived by daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, whom he shares with Gayheart.
The following article contains spoilers forEpisode 7, “1:00 P.M.,” of “The Pitt” Season 2.
The education begins almost immediately. A young woman who has just experienced a sexual assault is in triage, and “The Pitt’s” Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) enlists Dr. Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi) to assist charge nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa) with the patient.
“We can call for a SANE,” another nurse suggests when Dana says she’ll be occupied.
“On a holiday? Could be hours,” responds Dana, a veteran who knows better, as the Fourth of July shift enters afternoon hours. “We’re not going to make this patient wait. And since I’m the only SANE on staff …”
A what? The quick reference sets in motion what “The Pitt” aims to shed light on: a sexual assault forensic exam, also known as a rape kit exam. The episode delves into the confidential medical procedure to collect DNA and evidence and gives one of the most detailed depictions of the process for television.
But before cameras venture into the room with the patient, Dana gives recent nursing school graduate Emma (Laëtitia Hollard) — and the audience — an overview. A SANE is a sexual assault nurse; they perform forensic exams, collect evidence and hand it over to the police, if a report is made. They also provide resources, support and may even testify in court.
The storyline serves a dual purpose, according to Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman, who co-wrote the episode with the show’s creator, R. Scott Gemmill. “We wanted to highlight the very important and incredible work of a SANE, especially in the department setting,” she says. “And we also wanted to see the bravery it takes for a survivor to come forward, let alone do a rape kit … It’s not an easy decision for somebody to make, and it’s not an easy process for somebody to go through.”
“I wanted people to understand the extent of the exam, I think that’s a misconception among a lot of people,” said Dr. Kathleen Sekula, a SANE at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh who also consulted the show’s team.
Ilana (Tina Ivlev) arrives at the ER in Episode 7 of “The Pitt.”
(HBO)
The case in Episode 7, “1:00 P.M.,” involves a visibly shaken young woman, Ilana, played by Tina Ivlev. The writing team knew they wanted to detail the process, not the trauma, Pierre-Geyfman said, so the information about what Ilana experienced is minimal: She was at a barbecue with friends when she was assaulted by a male friend.
“The thing that struck me was the fact the other shows might focus on what happened and then dive into that,” Ivlev said. “What I loved about this, the minute she starts talking about it, they cut [away]. There’s so much underneath it. I wanted it to be similar to real life when you have a traumatic situation happen — sometimes you can be hyperfocused on certain details, then other things are cloudy. Her head is spinning. She’s in shock.”
As with many of “The Pitt’s” cases, the story serves to bolster the emotional arc of the show’s healthcare providers, in this case Dana, who assists with the exam from start to finish as the department’s certified SANE nurse. Last season, she was brutally punched in the face by a disgruntled patient while taking a smoke break. That violent attack left her rattled and contemplating an exit from the job, but after taking a few weeks off, she ultimately returned to work — though the assault’s lingering impact has sharpened her edges.
“With Dana’s arc and her own assault last season, she’s definitely calcified a little this season,” Pierre-Geyfman said. “She’s trying to create a little bit of distance between her and her patients, and is really trying to prioritize her nurse’s safety. You see her struggle a little bit with that with this patient. She’s wanting to do more for her.”
On screen, the assessment begins with Dr. Al-Hashimi checking to see if Ilana has any injuries that need immediate attention and getting an intake of prescription medications and any known allergies to medications. Securing two triage rooms to complete the exam as a way to ensure privacy in the busy emergency department, Dana, with help from Emma, begins the evidence collection while carefully outlining the process to Ilana. For starters, once Dana opens the kit, Ilana cannot leave the room but is free to take a break as needed.
To avoid contamination, Dana puts on a face shield and opens the kit, which is a rectangle-shaped box that contains items like paper bags to store evidence and swabs for collecting biological samples. The first step requires Ilana to change into a robe, undressing on top of pads placed on the floor so each item of clothing can be packaged into separate bags and collected as evidence. She’ll be given new clothes, Dana assures her. Dana raises a large piece of cloth to give Ilana privacy as she completes the process.
Eventually Dr. Al-Hashimi returns to examine Ilana, checking for any pain on her body or need for X-rays or imaging — she notes two areas of bruising to be documented by Dana with photos. Dana seals the camera’s memory card in an evidence envelope. Next, with the lights off, Dana runs a black light over Ilana’s body. Dana relays that if there’s a part of Ilana’s skin that glows, she’ll swab it with a wet, then dry, cotton swab. Dana next swabs Ilana’s mouth — the inside of her cheek and along the gum line — and her finger nails. At various points, Dana is careful to assess Ilana’s comfort with each step and uses statements like “This will not define you,” while Ilana shows signs of stress about the length of the process.
Emma (Laëtitia Hollard) assists Dana (Katherine LaNasa), who leads the exam as the SANE (sexual assault nurse) on duty.
(HBO)
At one juncture, an advocate from Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, otherwise known as PAAR, arrives to further detail the resources and assistance they can offer, a service that’s available regardless of whether a patient decides not to complete the rape kit exam. Throughout the process, Ilana is assured that she can complete the exam even if she’s vacillating on whether to file a police report — that decision can be made at a later time and none of it goes on her permanent medical record. But when the exam pivots to external and internal vaginal collection, Ilana panics once she’s instructed to place her feet in stirrups to get into position. Dana suggests a break.
“I don’t want a break, I want to stop,” Ilana proclaims. “He’s my friend. He knows all my friends. It was just a dumb — he was drunk. He didn’t mean — it didn’t mean anything.”
It brings a pause to the process, which will carry over into Episode 8. In trying to show the scope of the exam, the medical drama takes liberties in its completion time. Sekula said it’s rare for an exam to be completed in under three to four hours.
Not all nurses are certified to be a SANE, and certification requirements vary by state, according to Sekula. It’s a role that requires extreme attention to detail and thoroughness, as their work bridges the healthcare and legal systems. While preparing for the episode, Hollard said she marveled at the precise protocols involved and the support that’s provided.
“On a technical level, it’s so meticulous,” Hollard said. “There’s so many parts, so many envelopes. You have to take these swabs and they can’t touch each other. And the legality of it all — the way this kit is happening is how they would do it with PAAR in Pittsburgh, but that’s not the same way they do it in California, or [the way] they do it in different states.”
While “The Pitt” is frequently recognized for its hyperrealistic medical procedures, the episode’s director, Uta Briesewitz, knew she wanted to film the exam in a way that mirrored the sensitivity healthcare professionals strive to exhibit, with shots that weren’t invasive or fixated on Ilana’s body. For example, when Ilana is undressing, the camera is fixed on Dana being mindful to give her privacy even in their close proximity — an out of focus glimpse of Ilana’s bare backside comes only when getting a reaction of Emma taking in the weight of the moment. Later, when the blue light is being run down Ilana’s body, her hospital gown is carefully place to avoid exposure. In addition to a SANE consultant being on set to assist with queries about the process, there was also an intimacy coordinator to help with the comfort level of filming the scenes.
“On a technical level, it’s so meticulous,” said Laëtitia Hollard of the process. “There’s so many parts, so many envelopes. You have to take these swabs and they can’t touch each other.”
(HBO)
“It was a very sensitive line because women can get re-traumatized,” Briesewitz said. “I remember one of our more detailed conversations with our SANE nurse was about when Dana had to look with the black light for bodily fluid. How do we make sure she would not miss anything but, at the same time, give the victim the feeling that they’re still protected? It was super helpful to have our SANE advisor on set to say the way she would do it. ‘One arm comes out of the sleeve, then I hold up her gown this way, and I would do it like that …’”
LaNasa found her time at the UCLA Health Rape Treatment Center crucial to chart both her character’s ease in the room and her sensitivity to the task at hand: “I went back a second time because I knew I was going to have to use the kit … I wanted it to look like I had used the kit many times and I knew what I was doing.”
Reflecting on the case as a mirror to her character’s journey, LaNasa pointed out that Dana never pressed charges against Doug Driscoll, the man who assaulted her.
“It’s different in this situation,” LaNasa acknowledged. “I thought it was great information that we got out of this, which is that you can go and do a rape kit, you can have the evidence collected, and you don’t have to decide on that day when you’re traumatized if you want to press charges or not. I think that part of Dana’s hypervigilance is probably because there was no justice for her. I think why she’s cracked this season is because she didn’t take care of herself. She’s reeling from that. She let him beat her up. At the same time, she doesn’t want Tina’s character to feel any pressure, but I think she wants it for her. She wants her to have the ability to change her mind later.”
“We’re going to hear Dana, later in the season, refer back to this process that these people have to go through, in defense of a sexual assault victim,” LaNasa teased. “It’s big on her mind. She’s been doing it quite a while.”
Tom Noonan, a character actor and filmmaker known for playing villains in “Manhunter” and “The Last Action Hero,” died on Valentine’s Day. He was 74.
The death was confirmed by Fred Dekker, director of “The Monster Squad,” who wrote on Facebook, “Tom’s indelible performance as Frankenstein … is a highlight of my modest filmography.”
Noonan had a nearly 40-year career on TV and in film, making his mark with a role in “Manhunter,” the 1986 movie based on a Thomas Harris novel.
In “Manhunter,” which starred William Peterson of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” as an FBI agent and “Succession” star Brian Cox as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Noonan played Francis Dolarhyde, the serial killer also known as the Tooth Fairy. It was a performance that “knocked out” Dekker, who then pursued Noonan for “Monster Squad.”
Playing a killer wasn’t unusual for Noonan, who stood 6-foot-5 or 6-foot-6, depending on who you trust. On a 2013 episode of TV’s “The Blacklist,” he played “the Stewmaker,” a man with a taste for dissolving human bodies in acid. In the 1993 comedy “The Last Action Hero” he was the Ripper, a fictional nemesis who comes to life in the high-concept film-within-a-film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as action star Jack Slater.
Born in Greenwich, Conn., on April 12, 1951, Noonan was raised by his math-teacher mother Rita and a large extended family after the death of his father, John Ford Noonan Sr. He went to school at Yale Drama and later founded New York’s Paradise Factory theater with Jack Kruger at the site of the Paradise Ice Cream Factory, where the ice cream cone was invented. The two built a theater and rehearsal rooms where the condemned building stood.
Paradise Factory now bills itself as “bringing the rigor of theatrical discipline to the process of cinematic art, and bringing the intimacy and immediacy of the cinema into theatrical performance art.”
“I wish I had more success as an actor,” the New York-based actor told The Times with a dash of melancholy in 2015. “I think people call me because they’re channel surfing late at night and they see me in a movie on cable.”
In that story, about the actor and his friend and collaborator Charlie Kaufman and Kaufman’s stop-motion animation film “Anomalisa,” a Times staff writer described Noonan: “Like Kaufman, he has a dark worldview, an idiosyncratic sensibility, blackly comic thoughts and, at times, an endearing crankiness.”
In “Anomalisa,” Noonan was credited with playing “Everyone Else” — and that wasn’t an exaggeration. Jennifer Jason Leigh and David Thewlis played the leads; Noonan voiced more than 40 other roles in the film.
“Even I can’t tell if it’s me sometimes,” he told The Times in 2015 about the extensive studio-recording process. “I mean, I recognize the voice, but I’m not sure where it came from.”
“My first TV interview was with Tom Noonan for a local NYC show called MIDDAY(?),” actor Jerry O’Connell wrote early Wednesday on Instagram, including a blurry image of them on the show’s set. “I was so nervous. Tom was so kind. I saw him in every (NYC) play he was in after. He bought my brother and I tickets to Eddie Murphy’s RAW (we were too young to purchase). Btw, on this episode, I was talking about a movie about to come out (Stand By Me) and Mr. Noonan was talking about his movie (Manhunter). Rest In Peace LEGEND.”
Noonan appeared in the famous 1980 flop “Heaven’s Gate” and cast a creepy gothic shadow decades later in “The House of the Devil” (2009). He was a ghoulish host of a late-night television horror program in the 2005 vampire movie “The Roost,” then played a wagon-train missionary in the 2007 western “Seraphim Falls.”
In 18 episodes of the series “Hell on Wheels,” which ran for five seasons on AMC, he was the Rev. Nathaniel Cole. Other TV credits included episodes of Fox’s “The X-Files,” HBO’s “The Leftovers,” CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and the Louis C.K. series “Louie” (FX) and “Horace and Pete.”
Noonan’s half-dozen directing credits include the 1994 film “What Happened Was …,” which was produced as a play, then became a movie and then won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for dramatic feature. In addition to writing and directing the movie, Noonan played the lead male role opposite actor Karen Sillas. Noonan also won Sundance’s Waldo Salt screenwriting award for the script.
The next year, his feature “The Wife” — a dark comedy once again written, directed by and starring Noonan — was a nominee for the same Sundance Grand Jury Prize. Described by the New York Times as a “bleakly funny evisceration of modern marriage,” the movie co-starred Karen Young, who was Noonan’s wife from 1992 to 1999.
And Noonan’s 2015 movie “The Shape of Something Squashed” was born out of confusion and some despair after his agent called him with what initially looked like a part in one of the “Mockingjay” installments of “The Hunger Games” franchise. When he got the script, though, he saw only one role for someone his age, and that job — playing President Snow — already belonged to Donald Sutherland.
Turns out there never had been a part in the offing. Sutherland was just busy, and Jennifer Lawrence and the rest of the “Hunger Games” cast needed someone to rehearse with them for a week.
After recovering from a brief emotional tailspin, Noonan knocked out the script for “The Shape of Something Squashed” — then directed and acted in the film.
He was preceded in death by his older brother, “A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking” playwright John Ford Noonan Jr., who died in 2018 at age 77.
Former Times staff writer Steve Zeitchik contributed to this report.
Knight of the Seven Kingdoms fans were left stunned by an unexpected death in episode five.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode five trailer
Knight of the Seven Kingdoms continues to surprise fans with the Game of Thrones’ prequel ending on a major cliffhanger this week.
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
Returning for episode five, entitled In the Name of the Mother, on Sky Atlantic and NOW, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms this week revolved around the dreaded Trial of Seven.
Depicted as a “man of the people”, Prince Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen (played by Bertie Carvel) surprisingly chose to join Dunk’s (Peter Claffey) in a bid to protect his brother and nephews on the other side.
It was also his way of doing what was right and honorable and initially after the Trial of Seven, it appears that Baelor comes out unscathed.
But unfortunately for him and fans, Baelor didn’t have the happy ending that fans were hoping for.
The two Ser Humfreys Beesbury (Danny Collins) and Hardyng (Ross Anderson) were killed and the prince emerged among the victors after Dunk forced Aerion (Finn Bennett) to yield.
However, when Baelor does take off his helmet, it is revealed that the back of his head had been caved in by Maekar’s (Sam Spruell) mace.
Fans were hopeful that he would still survive but Baelor ultimately dies from his gruesome injuries, leaving his loved ones heartbroken.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, a distraught user wrote: “All of us at Baelor’s funeral,” followed by a crying emoji.
A second exclaimed: “Baelor take me with you,” as another stated: “Baelor Targaryen you will be missed by all.”
Someone else shared: “What I love the most about how A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms portrays Baelor is that he is not just this perfect man who’s inherently good, but rather his goodness and honor is A CHOICE he makes every time.
“One that he could choose differently, and it ultimately makes what he does choose have meaning.”
While a fellow viewer added: “Just want to give a huge round of applause to Bertie Carvel for his performance as Baelor Targaryen.
“He really brought to life one of the best Asoiaf characters.”
Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is available to watch on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
Silent Witness viewers spotted a “huge flaw” just minutes into Tuesday’s episode
22:18, 17 Feb 2026Updated 22:23, 17 Feb 2026
Silent Witness viewers spot huge ‘error’ as pulled episode airs on BBC(Image: BBC)
Viewers of Silent Witness believed they’d identified a “huge flaw” just moments into Tuesday’s (February 17) pulled episode.
The 29th series of the enduring BBC crime drama premiered earlier this month, with Emilia Fox and David Caves returning as Dr Nikki Alexander and Jack Hodgson, joined by Maggie Steed and Fran Mills as Harriet Maven and Kit Brooks.
The programme has now relocated to Birmingham, delivering five compelling new investigations across ten instalments. Silent Witness has recently experienced multiple schedule changes, after this evening’s episode was withdrawn from broadcast last week in light of a horrific incident that occurred in Birmingham.
A BBC representative informed TV Guide at the time: “Due to the attack in Birmingham over the weekend, this week’s episodes of Silent Witness will not transmit as planned and instead they have been replaced with two episodes from later on in the series,” reports the Express.
Just a week after the adjustments, the programme made its comeback to BBC One this evening, airing the opening chapter of The Enemy Within.
During the episode, the forensic specialists were tasked with examining a fatal knife attack in Birmingham. Initially, the incident seemed to bear the hallmarks of racial motivation, but as enquiries progressed, the team gradually discovered evidence suggesting a probable perpetrator.
As the team persisted in pursuing clues, racial tensions rapidly intensified throughout the city. At the same time, Jack discovered that his new gym mates weren’t who he thought they were, whilst Kit started having second thoughts about her relationship with DC Jonno Magath (Gerard Kearns).
The episode boasted a star-studded cast list, with guest appearances including Chris Reilly (Slow Horses), Selin Hizli (Am I Being Unreasonable?), and Phaldut Sharma (EastEnders).
However, just moments into the episode, BBC viewers spotted a “huge flaw”. Many fans believe that the episode was originally intended to be the series opener, after Nikki was shown cheerfully walking through the new Bowman Centre, whilst Harriet kept getting lost on her way to work.
“Does anyone actually know which order the episodes are actually supposed to run in because I assumed this one was just swapped out for Creekwood last week but seems to make more sense as the first episode of the series before Alice Hill?” one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Another added: “So we can all agree this was originally meant to be episode one, right?” whilst a third said: “I’m sorry but where did all these people working there suddenly come from.”
A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: “I’m so confused by the order of these eps. This looks like the first ep not last week’s. Huge airing flaw or what?”
Silent Witness is available to stream on BBC iPlayer
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Corrie fans joked ‘someone is getting fired’ after the groundbreaking flashforward episode was uploaded to YouTube on Friday, giving away vital details ahead of tonight’s show
11:33, 16 Feb 2026Updated 11:33, 16 Feb 2026
Will groomer Megan be the one to meet her maker? (Image: ITV)
Bosses at Coronation Street were left reeling after accidentally leaking tonight’s flashforward episode days before the top secret show was due to air.
Fans were stunned after finding out which five characters are in the firing line early, with one set to be murdered in April. This morning, Corrie put out the names of those at risk of a grisly death as the identities of the ITV soap’s stars who could meet their end were announced.
Groomer Megan Walsh, manipulative Theo Silverton and family-wrecker Carl Webster could soon be getting their comeuppance with quirky landlady Maggie Driscoll and suspicious newcomer Jodie Ramsey also picked as possible murder victims. But some viewers found out days ago.
The programme, which is set to air tonight, was briefly uploaded on the YouTube on Friday before being hauled offline. It didn’t go unnoticed as one fan took to X to write: “Someone at Corrie leaking Mondays episode on a Friday afternoon oh dear someone’s getting fired.”
The groundbreaking episode begins with a police interview taking place on April 23. A a shocked and Betsy Swain is seen telling detectives about finding the dead body of someone she knows.
Dressed in wedding clothes, the cop’s daughter explains that she had been at the marriage of her mum Lisa Swain to Carla Connor, but was heading into town when she made the shocking discovery. As the episode returns to the present day we begin to see how the behaviour of the five characters could lead to their possible death two months later.
Twisted teacher Megan is caught up in a web of lies as she continues to groom impressionable teen Will Driscoll. Doing anything to protect her family, Maggie gives a fake alibi for Will to stop him being charged with the Christmas Day attack on Daniel Osbourne.
Carl has burnt all his bridges when he let Debbie take the blame for the Corriedale accident which saw Billy Mayhew perish. Since finding out Debbie is actually his mum and not his sister, Carl has pressed the self-destruct button and as he continues to goad both family and neighbours – he would have no shortage of people looking to settle a score.
Theo’s coercive control over Todd has reached new lows and with their wedding looming, will Todd finally confide in his friends about what has been going on before it is too late?
Despite initial reservations, the Platts have welcomed Shona’s estranged sister Jodie Ramsey into their home. But Jodie has been keeping secrets from them, and it seems she has got mixed up with some pretty shady characters in her past. Will trouble follow Jodie to Weatherfield, or could she upset people closer to home with her behaviour?
As the episode comes to a close we flash forward again to April 23 and the five characters are on the cobbles as Lisa and Carla’s wedding fireworks light up the night sky.
As the lights flicker a battered and bruised Carl, frantic Jodie, a menacing Maggie, a bloody-nosed Megan and a furtive Theo stare into the darkness. In the final moments the terrified scream of Betsy Swain fills the air – but which Weatherfield resident will be the murder victim?
