Season

“Dystopian” TV may seem ubiquitous, but not all dystopias look the same. We asked the creatives behind several series — totalitarian, postapocalyptic or both — to explain how they bring the term to life.

‘The Boys’: Normalized dystopia

A scene from the Vought on Ice performance in “The Boys” Season 4.

(Jasper Savage / Prime Video)

“Dystopia, by definition, suggests an imagined society in which suffering and injustice are normalized. The people in that society are meant to believe their leaders and heroes are always right and working in their interest no matter how evil their values are or how horrifying their behavior,” says Mark Steel, the production designer for the comedy-drama about controlling capitalist overlords (and the outsiders who want to bring them down).

“One of the principal rules for the look of ‘The Boys’ world was to stay close to the recognizable visual language of American media and culture today,” Steel says.

The show uses everything from patriotic rallies to kids’ puppet shows to an ice-skating performance branded with the name of the omnipresent corporation Vought International to parallel real life.

“I think absurdity is most effective and funniest when it is set against normalcy,” Steel says. “We were able to build the Vought on Ice show in a real professional arena at real scale with skaters, costumes and music. The genius of the piece was how far we could facilitate the performance before all hell breaks loose.”

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: Manicured dystopia

A scene from “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

(Steve Wilkie / Disney)

“The Handmaid’s Tale’s” Season 6 co-showrunner Yahlin Chang says the word “dystopia” usually connotes overgrown trees and disaster zones. In her show, the slave slate known as Gilead is a veneer of perfection that’s fooling no one, “like a cake with a razor blade in it,” she says.

“Our dystopia has always been very beautiful to look at … because it was meant to sort of clean up the horrible modern world from before where women weren’t having babies and where the environment had collapsed,” she says.

The homes of the elite commanders and their families are pristine and conservative. Everyone else’s surroundings are worn and muddied. But the last two seasons have introduced a new concept: color. Bradley Whitford’s Cmdr. Lawrence, the brainiac who masterminded Gilead, has designed New Bethlehem, a supposed safe haven for anyone who escaped his country’s oppression to return and live out a Mayberry-like existence. So production designer Elisabeth Williams and her team went all in on white picket fences and manicured lawns.

“It’s meant to be the kinder, gentler version of Gilead and it has a deliberately beautiful, pristine sheen on the surface,” says co-showrunner Eric Tuchman. “It feels artificial and sterile, with a kind of a theme-park vibe to it. It doesn’t feel quite real.”

‘The Last of Us’: Dystopian or postapocalyptic?

A scene from “The Last of Us” Season 2.

(Liane Hentscher / HBO)

“The Last of Us” is set after an outbreak has wiped out much of human existence. Because of this, Season 2 production designer Don Macaulay says his show also has to try to define “postapocalyptic,” another term that, he says, “can, visually, be a million different things.” The creators referenced the video game his show is based on, as well as real-world places that saw mass destruction, like the area around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

“There is a certain amount of violence associated with it and destruction associated with it,” Macaulay says of this world. “But, for the most part, it’s really nature taking over again and what that looks like in various environments. … There’s places in our story that haven’t been touched by humans in decades.”

This consideration of the time scale of dystopia and apocalypse led to conversations about when the world in the show “ended” — and if that matched the events in the game. Bella Ramsey’s lead Ellie is a music aficionado. But how far back does that record collection go?

“People who get really into the minutiae may point out that there are a couple of instances … where we bent those rules a little bit,” Macaulay says. The show premiered 10 years after the game launched, “so there are things in the game that became fairly iconic that wouldn’t have been around in our timeline.”

‘Paradise’: A childlike vision

Actors Aliyah Mastin, left, Sterling K. Brown and Percy Daggs IV at the entrance to the bunker in “Paradise.”

(Brian Roedel / Disney)

More “Brave New World” than “1984,” “Paradise” is largely set after an environmental disaster, focusing on a group of survivors who live in an underground bunker that looks like the Grove shopping mall.

Production designer Kevin Bird says some of the first conversations he had with creator Dan Fogelman and others involved designing a “completely different experience from a show about a bunker that’s postapocalyptic and living in a rusty tower. We wanted the feeling of the town to be that idyllic, too-perfect way [that is] really just a way of distracting” characters from what’s really happening.

Here, he explains, essentials like food, clothing and housing are provided for everyone — “Just don’t stray too far from the path.”

Bird was aided by an early episode in which it’s made clear that billionaire Samantha Redmond (Julianne Nicholson) built the bunker as an ode to her deceased son; it’s what a child would create if instructed to make a perfect town.

“What was motivating her was to protect the rest of her family as long as possible,” Bird says.

‘Silo’: An aging dystopia

Avi Nash in “Silo.”

(Apple TV+)

The “Silo” bunker may be the future “Paradise’s” Samantha is attempting to avoid. In this show, production designer Nicole Northridge says, “The people have lived here for 350 years [and] they’re under no illusion that it’s a perfect world.” They just don’t know how to escape and, because it’s supposed to be set after a postapocalyptic event, they don’t know what’s waiting for them if they do.

The silo in “Silo” was designed in Season 1 by then-production designer Gavin Bocquet. Northridge says it was meant to have an “Eastern European socialist look, which is very functional, very austere.” Since this story starts centuries after the original inhabitants enter the bunker, she says, “Everything within the silo is essentially, when we come to it, reused, recycled and quite a bespoke make.”

But Season 2 introduces another silo, this one with graffiti and wall carvings. It also had flooded caverns. Northridge and her team had to research how concrete ages while submerged; the effects team built a giant chlorinated water tank. (The crew would sometimes go swimming in it after they wrapped for the day.)

Sunday’s matchup between the Sparks and Phoenix Mercury felt like déjà vu. When the Sparks faced Phoenix last month, the game ended with a failed Sparks comeback.

In a twist of fate, Sunday’s comeback belonged to Phoenix.

Unable to stay ahead after building an 18-point lead, the Sparks fell 85-80 to the Mercury at Crypto.com Arena for their third consecutive loss.

As with the first meeting, the third quarter proved to be the Sparks’ undoing. After scoring just seven points in the third quarter of their loss to Phoenix on May 21, the Sparks were outscored 24-9 in the third Sunday.

“You’ve got to live with it,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. “Sometimes we have a bad day. It’s a bad day to have a bad day. We have a lead like that, but that’s the game.”

Before the game, Roberts said consistency in transition defense, avoiding prolonged bad stretches and fluid ball movement would define a strong third quarter. None of that materialized against Phoenix (5-2).

But even more costly was their inability to score in the second half.

“This game came down to us not shooting,” Roberts said. “We had eight threes in the first half. We finished with eight. They had the same amount of field goals we did. They just hit four more threes.”

After opening with their best first quarter of the season, the Sparks became visibly frustrated in the second half. A three-pointer from Kathryn Westbeld with 2:11 left in the third gave the Mercury their first lead, 58-57, and capped a 21-5 run.

The shift in energy was palpable in what became a chippy, physical game. Momentum swung in Phoenix’s favor late in the third when Satou Sabally was fouled by Kelsey Plum while scoring on a layup, pointing and shouting to the Sparks bench as she celebrated.

Sabbaly exchanged words with the Sparks bench throughout the game, and drew a technical foul before halftime. After the game, she said her and-one celebration was aimed at her former assistant — now Sparks assistant coach — Zak Buncik.

“Well, he just motivated me a little bit. So, I was telling him, ‘Thanks,’” she said.

Sabally finished as the Mercury’s leading scorer with 24 points. She also had nine rebounds.

The teams traded leads early in the fourth quarter. Trailing by two, with 25 seconds left, Plum turned over the ball while trying to pass to an open shooter. Plum then fouled Kitija Laksa, who made two free throws to make it a four-point game.

Plum was one for 13 in the second half, finishing with 15 points and six rebounds.

“I just missed,” Plum said. “I had four really good looks that felt good coming out of my hands at the end of the game. I’m going to get another chance to do it, and I’ll hit them. But, I mean, I just didn’t feel like I had my legs.”

Playing seven games in 15 days, the loss capped off a grueling stretch — one that Roberts attributed to the team’s inconsistency as a result of lost practice time.

The Sparks (2-6) were a different team in the first quarter behind a new starting lineup of Julie Allemand, Dearica Hamby, Azurá Stevens, Odyssey Sims, Plum. With Allemand in the lineup, Sarah Ashlee Barker, who had started the previous five games, came off the bench.

The Sparks scored 27 points and had a 10-point lead going into the second quarter. After struggling with flat starts all season, the team finally found an early rhythm — one they’ve shown in flashes, but haven’t sustained.

Standing at 5-foot-8, Sims — one of the Sparks’ fiercest competitors — helped keep the team in the game, scoring a game-high 32 points.

She relentlessly attacked the basket, giving Mercury defender Sami Whitcomb the “too small’ gesture in the process. She hit the floor multiple times on hard drives, fighting through contact, and getting in the faces of Mercury defenders to confront them about foul calls. At times, the toll of her effort showed, as she walked with a slight limp between plays.

“It was a little bit more aggressive,” Sims said of her performance. “I think the run was kind of big for me today. I tried to stay in that mode. We were up going into halftime, and I just wanted to just basically keep my foot on their necks.”

Despite the effort, Sims says the team “let this one slip away.”

Plum praised Sims’ ability to respond to the Mercury’s runs almost single-handedly — she scored 15 of the Sparks’ 30 second-half points — but it wasn’t enough to secure a much-needed win for a Sparks team that plays eight of its next 11 games on the road.

“Of course, this one stings,” Sims said. “We know it’s the third quarter. We keep saying the same thing over and over, kind of beating a dead horse at this point, but it’s going to be less talking about it, and more doing it.”

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration invited travel industry executives to the White House in May for a meeting on federal plans for the 2026 World Cup, a landmark event that under normal circumstances would draw massive international tourism to the United States. It was a welcome gathering by President Trump and his team for an industry eager to capitalize on a rare opportunity and capture tourism dollars.

Welcome, at least, until Vice President JD Vance cracked a joke.

“We’ll have visitors from close to 100 countries — we want them to come, we want them to celebrate, we want them to watch the games. But when the time is up, they’ll have to go home. Otherwise, they’ll have to talk to Secretary Noem,” Vance said, referring to the Homeland Security secretary and head of border enforcement.

Vance’s remarks, while taken in jest, fell flat in a room filled with experts more keenly aware than most of the challenges facing travel in the Trump era.

“It’s one of those moments where you’re almost, like, stop helping us,” one participant in the meeting told The Times, granted anonymity to speak candidly.

Stories are flooding media overseas of capricious denials and detentions at U.S. border crossings, raising concern among international tourists over spending top dollar on vacations to America that may end up disrupted, or never materialize. Erratic tariff policies out of the White House have shaken consumer confidence that experts say reliably tracks with discretionary spending on travel. And a series of scares in U.S. aviation, coupled with cuts to the National Park Service and the National Weather Service, have made planning trips to some of the country’s top destinations less reliable.

In California, the nation’s No. 1 tourist destination, international visits are expected to drop by 9.2% through the year, with international spending anticipated to drop 4.2%, according to a forecast published last month by Visit California and Tourism Economics.

Around Yosemite National Park, one of the nation’s most popular attractions, reported bookings were down “as much as 50% going into Memorial Day weekend,” Caroline Beteta, president and chief executive of Visit California, told The Times.

Narratives of travel disruptions under the Trump administration have given pause to U.S. officials and industry experts concerned not only with the immediate economic consequences of a slower summer season, but with the prospects of anemic attendance at World Cup games next year and, beyond, for the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

“Consumer confidence certainly matters,” said Geoff Freeman, president and chief executive of the U.S. Travel Assn. “It creates a degree of uncertainty.”

‘People should plan ahead’

Unlike much of the rest of the country, California is particularly susceptible to shifting trends among tourists from Asia, where tourism has yet to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic as robustly as it has in the Americas and Europe. Commercial flight restrictions over Russian airspace and the strength of the U.S. dollar haven’t helped, Freeman said.

On the other hand, California benefits from a tourism industry that relies more heavily on domestic travelers, the source of 80% of tourism dollars spent in the state, Beteta noted.

“There’s no question that there are widespread misperceptions about impacts to the travel experience, from reports about staff cuts to detentions at the border,” Beteta said. “Cuts at the National Park Service, for example, don’t affect the park concessionaires — and those companies run most of the visitor-facing services, such as lodging, dining, shuttle services and much more. The misperception of chaos at the parks is a PR issue that can have real consequences.”

Visitors board buses in Yosemite National Park on May 20. Reported bookings around Yosemite National Park were down 50% leading into Memorial Day weekend.

(Carlos Avila Gonzalez / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

But Cassidy Jones, senior visitation program manager at the National Parks Conservation Assn., said that cuts to the parks are tangible and will directly affect visitors’ experience over the coming months, despite efforts by leadership at the Department of the Interior to paper over the cracks.

“There may be fewer entrance gates open,” Jones said. “People should plan ahead and remember to be helpful park visitors. Take the optional shuttle. Come with supplies with you, as some facilities may be closed at hours you’re not expecting, because they don’t have the staff to keep them open. Toilets may not be unwinterized yet if they’re in cold places.”

In April, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued an order directing that national parks be “open and accessible” through the summer season, as fears grew that staffing cuts implemented by the administration could become apparent. Still, the White House cuts and hiring freezes severely disrupted a seasonal hiring and training cadence for park rangers that usually begins around Christmas, Jones said.

“Some parks may not feel like a lot of changes are evident, but there’s a lot of work that is not being done in the background,” Jones added. “The order basically demanded that even though parks have experienced devastating staffing cuts, they are to put on a sort of public appearance that everything is business as usual. That means pulling superintendents to work in visitor centers, science and research management staff to make sure facilities are clean — biologists cleaning toilets, that sort of thing.”

Flight disruptions expected

Twenty years ago, roughly half of flight delays were caused by uncertainty over the weather — a number that has dropped to 33% in recent years thanks to improved forecast quality. That progress is starting to reverse due to widespread cuts in talent, and will be felt by travelers sooner rather than later, said Rick Spinrad, who served as administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under President Biden.

Trump’s government efficiency program, known as DOGE, has eliminated hundreds of positions at NOAA, including at the National Weather Service, and is proposing a 25% cut in the agency’s budget.

“In the short term, this summer, when people are doing longer traveling, we may see a degradation of services. You may see more delayed flights, more weather-impacted flights,” Spinrad said.

But Spinrad’s concern is that the cuts to NOAA will soon be felt much more deeply, at the local level, among the emergency managers, local transportation departments and public health centers that count on reliable forecasts to map out their work.

“What we’re going to start to see, I think, is the erosion of the capability of NOAA to provide services to the degree that people had become accustomed to,” he said.

Spinrad visited Southern California in late May and was taken aback by the number of people raising concern over the agency’s ability to continue predicting atmospheric river events, with all of their implications on public safety, reservoir operations and hydro power. Those forecasts rely heavily on the work of a satellite operations facility that was gutted by the Trump administration.

And the capabilities of the National Weather Service to predict phenomena like Santa Ana winds, which fueled devastating fires in Los Angeles in January, are at risk, with 30 of the agency’s 122 weather forecast offices operating without meteorologists and with technicians cut throughout, he said.

“I know it will degrade, just by definition. Everything’s going to degrade,” Spinrad added. “All of NOAA’s predictive capabilities will degrade as a result of these cuts.”

Mark Spalding, president of the Ocean Foundation, warned the aviation industry would soon face disruptions as NOAA’s capabilities continue to diminish.

“We will see effects this summer, because they’ve fired so many people and shut down so much activity,” Spalding said.

“There are a lot of services that a lot of people rely on that NOAA provides — weather prediction, ocean observing, tsunami early warning, hurricane center monitoring,” he added. “There’s a lot this summer that could be affected in ways that are akin to what we’re seeing in air traffic control due to the sudden loss of personnel there.”

Still, Freeman, of the U.S. Travel Assn., expressed optimism for the U.S. tourism sector going forward, noting he and his counterparts are in “regular communication” with the Trump administration over headwinds facing the multitrillion-dollar industry.

“We have no shortage of challenges in the travel industry,” he said. “I think the picture right now for travel is uncertain, at worst.”

“For every challenge you see, there is an opportunity on the other side,” he added.

Baxter has taken a more hands-on role coaching the side since long-serving assistants Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher were dismissed after the defeat at Gloucester.

That loss was the nadir of a season which saw Exeter lose all four of their European games and win just four league matches – two of them against Saracens and Northampton who were without many of their international stars.

But in recent weeks Exeter have improved and had chances to win the game, against a Sale side who knew victory would secure a fourth play-off campaign in the past five seasons.

“A lot of teams need a dedicated start point – that Gloucester game was a dedicated start point for us,” Baxter added.

“No player can come into my office when I’m talking to them and go ‘everything was fine, I don’t know why we’re reacting’.

“You need that sometimes, you don’t need anybody having any second doubts that what’s on the field isn’t good enough.

“We had that and now things are changing, and you can feel a change. But I think we probably needed that and we needed someone to go ‘this is not good enough, things have to change’ and that’s what’s happened.”

It wasn’t quite as significant as the fifth inning of Game 5 last year.

But, in the opening contest of a World Series rematch at Chavez Ravine on Friday night, the Dodgers mounted another stunning late-game rally against the New York Yankees.

And this time, they didn’t even need an assist from the Yankees’ porous defense.

Seven months to the day since the Dodgers’ historic comeback at Yankee Stadium in last year’s World Series finale — when three Yankees errors keyed an infamous five-run fifth that propelled the Dodgers to the franchise’s eighth championship — the team produced an inning of similarly unexpected magic, scoring four times in the bottom of the sixth to turn a three-run deficit into an eventual 8-5 win at a sold-out Dodger Stadium.

“The situation is a little different,” designated hitter Shohei Ohtani said in Japanese, “but I think coming back to win is always good.”

It was Ohtani who got Friday’s sixth inning started, leading it off with his second home run of the night and MLB-leading 22nd of the season.

Freddie Freeman took over from there, hitting an RBI double off the wall to reprise his role of Yankees killer after winning MVP honors in last year’s Fall Classic.

Then, what had once been a 5-2 New York lead officially evaporated when Andy Pages lined a tying single against a drawn-in infield. The Dodgers finally went in front on a bases-loaded walk from Michael Conforto.

For a team that has been grinding for much of the last month, the sequence led to a scene of stadium-wide elation.

“Just getting guys on, keeping the line moving, getting huge hits,” Freeman said, “that was awesome.”

“Every win is important, [but] this one is a big one,” added outfielder Teoscar Hernández. “We were down early, [but] we didn’t panic.”

Highlights from the Dodgers’ 8-5 win over the Yankees on Friday night.

For the Dodgers (35-22), nothing will compare to the ecstasy of last year’s fifth inning in Game 5; when a dropped ball from Aaron Judge, an errant throw from Anthony Volpe and calamitous miscommunication between Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rizzo keyed the largest comeback in a title-clinching game in World Series history.

Asked about the similarities to Friday’s game, Freeman said he “actually never thought about it.”

But, given the team’s sub-.500 play over the last three weeks, and a rash of injuries that got worse Friday when Mookie Betts was scratched with a fractured toe and Evan Phillips was ruled out for the rest of the season because he’ll need Tommy John surgery, Friday injected this trying stretch of the regular season with a sorely needed jolt of life.

“For us to get behind the 8-ball a little bit … and find a way to scratch back into the game was huge,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Huge game for us to win.”

Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages reacts after he hits an RBI single against the Yankees in the sixth inning Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

For much of Friday, the Dodgers seemed headed to the kind of loss that had become commonplace over their 10-11 slide entering the night.

Their starting pitcher struggled, with Tony Gonsolin giving up four home runs in the first three innings — including a mammoth blast from Judge two batters into the game — to hand the Yankees a 5-2 lead.

Their lineup, meanwhile, was sputtering against a premium pitcher, inducing little stress against major league ERA leader Max Fried after an Ohtani homer to start the night.

“After giving up a run on [Judge’s] homer, I think it’s important for the flow of the game to get one back right away,” said Ohtani, whose first blast was his sixth leadoff homer of the season. It marked the first time in MLB history that the reigning MVPs of both the American and National League hit first-inning home runs in the same game.

“We were in a bad position after that too,” Ohtani noted, “but everyone didn’t give up.”

Indeed, as they did so many times during last year’s World Series, the Dodgers flipped the script on the Yankees (35-21) with an inning they never saw coming.

Dodgers baserunner Freddie Freeman, right, beats the tag of New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells to score in the seventh inning Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Ohtani’s blast to lead off the sixth was a sky-high fly ball to right, carrying just deep enough to land in the pavilion for his 15th home run of May (tying Pedro Guerrero in June 1985 and Duke Snider in August 1953 for the most in a single month in Dodgers history).

“Testament to Shohei,” Freeman said, “who is hitting home runs all over the place.”

The rest of the inning played out more methodically.

Hernández and Will Smith lined back-to-back singles. Freeman chased Fried from the game with an RBI double to left that got over Cody Bellinger’s head. Then, after the Yankees turned to right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga to face Pages, he hammered a ground-ball single through a drawn-in infield to bring home the tying run.

“When you can feel a little momentum, guys getting hits, you just try and keep that line moving,” Freeman said.

Another pitching change, with left-hander Tim Hill entering to face Conforto with the bases loaded and one out, didn’t help either.

“There were a lot of really good grindy at-bats in there, hitting some good pitches, spoiling some pitches,” Conforto said.

Against a ground-ball pitcher in Hill, Conforto took a different approach, working a full count while waiting for something up and over the plate.

On the payoff pitch, however, Conforto “kind of got the feeling he was losing the zone a little bit.”

Thus, when Hill pulled a sinker on his payoff offering, Conforto took for a run-scoring ball four.

“Just a rough inning,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

The Dodgers took more good at-bats in the seventh, when another double from Freeman set up Pages for a two-out, two-run single — with Freeman racing home on his battered right ankle to score on a bang-bang slide.

And after Gonsolin settled down to work through six innings without further damage, the Dodgers’ bullpen made the lead stand, getting key outs from Jack Dreyer and Ben Casparius in the seventh, then struggling late-game options Tanner Scott in the eighth and Alex Vesia for a ninth-inning save.

“It’s still early, it’s still May,” Gonsolin said. “But it’s cool to play that kind of caliber team and come out on top.”

“We try to win each and every game, of course,” Ohtani added. “But I think [tonight was] a special atmosphere. I think it was huge to have taken the [first game] of the series.”

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts will not start in any of this weekend’s games against the New York Yankees after sustaining a fractured toe this week, but the team is hopeful he will be able to avoid a stint on the injured list.

Betts told the Times on Friday night that he fractured his toe at home this week, after the Dodgers returned from a road trip on Wednesday night.

“I was just going to the bathroom in the dark and hit my toe on a wall,” he said.

The Dodgers were originally still planning to have Betts in the lineup Friday for their series opener against the New York Yankees, but he was ultimately scratched after his toe continued to give him problems before the game.

“Putting on a shoe today was difficult for him,” manager Dave Roberts said.

Despite the diagnosis, Roberts and Betts said they were confident the former MVP wouldn’t be out more than a few days.

“I know it’s at the tip of his toe, so it’s going to be one of those situations [that is] per his [pain] tolerance,” Roberts said. “I don’t expect an IL. We’ll probably have him down for the series and hopefully he’ll be available to hit in a big spot. And then we’ll kind of see. But I think for me right now it’s just day to day.”

“It’s just pain,” Betts added. “Get the swelling out, it’ll be all right.”

Betts had started in each of the Dodgers’ past 20 games, and appeared in each of their last 51 overall, having not missed any time since recovering from a two-week stomach virus at the start of the season.

While his defense had been much-improved during his second season as the club’s everyday shortstop, the 32-year-old was struggling at the plate, batting just .254 on the season with eight home runs, 31 RBIs and a .742 OPS.

In Betts’ absence on Friday, veteran Miguel Rojas took over at shortstop. Tommy Edman and Hyeseong Kim are also options to fill in for Betts at shortstop over the rest of the weekend.

“I’m gonna be all right,” Betts said. “It is what it is.”

Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone in need of a European getaway on a budget.

If you’re not taking a big summer trip this year, or if you are and want something to make the stress of traveling feel relaxing by comparison, NBC’s new reality competition series might be up your alley. “Destination X” features a mix of known reality stars and civilians as they put their geography knowledge and deduction skills to the test in Europe for a chance at a cash prize. Executive producer Andy Cadman stopped by Guest Spot to discuss the latest entrant in the travel-competition genre.

Also in this week’s Screen Gab, TV critic Robert Lloyd unpacks the appeal of Netflix’s new series about a traumatized Edinburgh detective tasked with investigating cold cases, and film editor Josh Rothkopf explains why a quartet of travelogue comedy films featuring improv impresarios Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as they road-trip across Europe makes for an enjoyable binge.

Plus, a service announcement: The Emmys season of The Envelope video podcast launched this week. The premiere episode features Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez, the stars of “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” as well as “Andor” actor Diego Luna. You can watch here or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

ICYMI

Must-read stories you might have missed

Elisabeth Moss as June in the series finale of “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

(Steve Wilkie / Disney)

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ showrunners on the unattainable finale reunion: ‘It was heartbreaking’: Co-showrunners Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang spoke about the finale of Hulu’s dystopic drama and the show’s parallels to the real world.

‘The Last of Us’: Kaitlyn Dever breaks down explosive finale, teases ‘crazier’ Season 3: The actor pulls back the curtain on the Season 2 finale, teases Season 3 and reveals why the reaction to Joel’s death defied her expectations.

After one legendary moment, actor Rolf Saxon chose to accept another ‘Mission’: His role in the first ‘Mission: Impossible’ was small but memorable. Now Rolf Saxon has been called back into action for ‘The Final Reckoning’ and a more substantial part.

Elizabeth Banks and Jessica Biel on ‘The Better Sister’ finale and taking control: The co-stars and executive producers discuss making the Prime Video limited series and their decades of experience.

Turn on

Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

Jamie Sives, left, and Matthew Goode in Netflix’s “Dept. Q”

(Justin Downing / Netflix)

“Dept. Q” (Netflix)

In this dark yet strangely warm series adapted by Scott Frank (“The Queen’s Gambit”) from a book series by Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen and transplanted from Copenhagen to Edinburgh, Matthew Goode plays Carl Morck, a moody police detective recovering from an incident, arguably his fault, that left him wounded, a partner partially paralyzed and a rookie dead. Talking his way back into service, he’s given a basement storage space for an office and a cold case involving a missing prosecutor (Chloe Pirrie), whose distressing circumstances we see without learning why. (It’s the mystery!) The primary pleasure of the series is in the team of fellow misfits who gather around Morck — a civilian expat (Alexej Manvelov) keeping mum on his experiences in the Syrian police; a chirpy cadet (Leah Byrne) back from a breakdown and tired of pushing pencils; and Morck’s recovering partner (Jamie Sives), joining from a hospital bed. It feels like the beginning of a beautiful second series. (With Shirley Henderson and Kelly Macdonald as a bonus for Scots watchers.) — Robert Lloyd

Steve Coogan, left, and Rob Brydon in “The Trip to Greece.”

(BBC / Revolution Films)

“The Trip: The Complete Series” (Criterion Collection, starting June 1)

Intensely bingeable (the movies actually got their start as four six-episode BBC runs), “The Trip” makes beautiful sense as an afternoon of viewing, maybe one accompanied by different cuisines as you go. The central premise: Actor-comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, playing barely altered versions of themselves, take to the road for epic conversations behind the wheel and at dinners, where the contours of their hyper-competitive friendship take shape, as does a parade of celebrity impressions. Director Michael Winterbottom steers the duo toward a deeper appreciation of life viewed through the rearview mirror, though honestly, you’re there for the vicious backbiting. For anyone wanting to dip in selectively: 2010’s “The Trip” features the guys’ classic dueling Michael Caines; 2014’s “The Trip to Italy” takes on “The Godfather”; 2017’s “The Trip to Spain” unleashes a killer, preening Mick Jagger; and 2020’s “The Trip to Greece” goes for Dustin Hoffman. — Joshua Rothkopf

Guest spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

“Destination X” contestants Rick Szabo, left, Allyson “Ally” Bross and Rachel Rosette during a challenge from the show.

(Helmut Wachter / NBC)

Imagine the pressure of trying to figure out where you are in the world while a man known for carrying a bat studded with barbed wire watches on. NBC’s new reality competition show, “Destination X,” follows 12 players who are whisked around Europe in a blacked-out bus — no windows or GPS to guide them — and tasked with trying to decipher their mystery locations through clues and challenges for a chance to win a cash prize. There’s plenty of alliances and rivalries that get formed along the way. The show is hosted by actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, known for his chilling turn as charismatic villain Negan in “The Walking Dead.” New episodes air every Tuesday on NBC, and can be streamed the next day on Peacock. Executive producer Andy Cadman stopped by Guest Spot via email to discuss the show’s mix of known reality TV personalities and civilians and more. — Yvonne Villarreal

“Destination X” is adapted from a Belgian format. How true to the original version is it? How much needed to be changed to suit American audiences?

The DNA of the original Belgian format is still present: the idea of being lost and trying to work out where you are. To this we added elements of strategy, giving the players more opportunities to mislead one another, forcing them to make difficult decisions, keep secrets, form alliances and ultimately allowing the players to decide who was at risk of elimination in each episode. Pitting the players more directly against one another transformed the show from a game about geography into a strategic, social competition, more accessible to an American audience and ultimately a more dramatic and exciting reality competition show.

The first season of the U.S. version of “Traitors” featured a mix of reality TV personalities and civilians, but quickly pivoted to an all–celebrity lineup. “Destination X” features a mix of reality personalities and civilians. Is the hope to keep that kind of combo? And is that kind of blend becoming more important in today’s reality competition landscape?

I believe that there’s a real benefit in the mix between civilians and established reality personalities. With “Destination X,” we wanted to do a couple of things. Firstly, discover and get to know some amazing new reality personalities that we’ll see on our screens for years to come. We have some brilliant characters in this season that are new, unique and surprising. Secondly, we wanted to see how some of the established reality faces might react to this incredible adventure. It was an opportunity to see some familiar faces taken out of their comfort zones and challenged in totally new ways. I think that this combination is a very valuable tool — it gives viewers the chance to meet some new favourites, while still giving them the comfort of some old friends dropping in.

What’s the game or competition series that hooked your interest in the format as a viewer and led to you pursuing a career in it?

I grew up on the original “Big Brother” and then made that show for many years here in the U.K. It was such a groundbreaking show and has survived the test of time like nothing else. Many of the production techniques that we still use today came from “Big Brother.” The lure of the genre for me lies in the way that people react to difficult situations. The entertainment can often be in the competition, but for me the greatest interest lies in the social politics, relationships people make, what people will do when faced with a dilemma and how far people will go to win. We used all of these levers in “Destination X” to create the most dramatic and engaging show possible.

What have you watched recently that you’re recommending to everyone you know?

“Slow Horses” [AppleTV+], [a] British spy thriller; “The Glass Dome” [Netflix], [a] Scandi noir, and if you like tricky puzzles and social strategy, the U.K. version of “Genius Game” is worth a look.

What’s your go-to comfort watch, the film or TV show you return to again and again?

I genuinely don’t have one; I find comfort in new seasons of my favourites though. I’m very excited for the next [season of] “Stranger Things” [Netflix]!

They don’t know what their rotation will look like in October, and they don’t know how worn down their bullpen will look like.

What the Dodgers know is this: They have Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani will give them a chance in October regardless of what their roster looks like, just as he did on Friday night in an 8-5 victory over the New York Yankees.

How can a player who takes four or five at-bats on most nights have such an oversized influence on games? How can a player who bats once only two or three innings bring opponents to their knees? How can a three-time MVP be a better offensive player than he was in his historic 50-homer, 50-steal season last year?

“I have no words for it,” outfielder Michael Conforto said.

When Aaron Judge homered in the top of the first, Ohtani answered with a homer of his own in the bottom half of the inning.

When the Dodgers were down by three runs, Ohtani led off the sixth inning with another homer, this one making Yankees starter Max Fried strike the Kershaw Pose, back to the plate, hands on knees, head down. The blast one ignited a four-run surge by the Dodgers that produced their first lead of the night.

This was on a night in which Mookie Betts was sidelined with a broken toe, Evan Phillips was ruled out for the remainder of the season because of an upcoming elbow reconstruction, and the Dodgers had no choice but to start the unreliable Tony Gonsolin because three pitchers of their opening-day rotation were on the injured list.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, left, watches his solo home run leave Dodger Stadium as New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried, center, reacts and catcher Austin Wells watches during the sixth inning Friday.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Playing with a diminished roster, manager Dave Roberts did what he could before the game to downplay the significance of the World Series rematch against the Yankees, but Ohtani recognized the contest for what it was.

This was a statement game, and Ohtani made a statement.

“We try to win each and every game, of course, but I think it’s a special atmosphere [against the Yankees,]” Ohtani said in Japanese. “I think it was huge to have taken the [first game] of the series.”

The homers were Ohtani’s 14th and 15th of May, which tied a single-month franchise record previously shared by only Pedro Guerrero and Duke Snider. The homers were Ohtani’s 21st and 22nd of the season, meaning Ohtani is on pace for a career-high 63 bombs.

The value of Ohtani’s homers extend beyond the numbers, however.

They inspire awe.

“You don’t want to miss any of his at-bats,” Conforto said. “You want to be in the dugout. You want to see it in person. That’s kind of what it is being his teammate. You want to be there.”

They inspire confidence.

“Every time he comes up to the plate, we’re expecting something awesome to happen,” Gonsolin said. “And he doesn’t let us down a lot of the time. Really cool to have someone like that on our team.”

They inspire a contagious form of courage.

“He would probably say it’s like any other game, but I do think when you see the reigning MVP [Judge] on the other side going out there and performing, that brings out even more of a competitor in Shohei,” Roberts said.

They inspire victories — the Dodgers are 14-6 when Ohtani homers.

“We always seem to play really well when Shohei’s playing well,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “I heard the chants for MVP and he’s really well on his way to doing that again.”

This is what the Dodgers will need in October, especially in a season in which little has gone according to plan. At this point, they can’t count on Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow to both be healthy for the remainder of the year. They can’t expect their bullpen to be as spectacular as it was last year. But they can rely on Ohtani to make up for their shortcomings.

He will soon be able to affect the game from the mound, as the Dodgers expect him to return to pitching after the All-Star break. Rather than revel in the victory Friday night, Ohtani said in an on-field postgame interview with Apple TV that he was already looking ahead to his next day’s assignment.

“Live bullpen is scheduled for tomorrow,” Ohtani said. “The game is over now and I’d like to get my body in order for the live BP.”

Michael Barnett flipped a weighted baseball into his hand and threw it against the side of the strength-training room next to UCLA’s clubhouse.

Jostling through folding tables, water coolers, television stands and a postgame news conference podium, he resumed his starting pitcher routine, as he would for any start, moving inside the weight room to stretch his right arm with resistance bands.

The junior right-hander’s pregame obstacle course — navigating university staffers, media and more — before trotting down to the bullpen, was outside of the ordinary. Friday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium was different — from the energy on the concourse to the noise from the dugouts and ultimately, the power from the Bruins’ bats.

Hosting its first regional since 2019, national No. 15 seed UCLA posted season highs for hits and runs in a dominant, 19-4 victory over regional No. 4 seed Fresno State.

“It wasn’t the cleanest game — it didn’t feel like the cleanest game,” said UCLA coach John Savage, “but at the end of the day, at this time of the year, you win any way you can and certainly we did that today. So it was a good win.”

A six-run, seventh-inning sent the Bulldogs unknowingly waving a white flag. UCLA first baseman Mulivai Levu’s line drive off the left-field wall cleared the loaded bases to provide the Bruins with a 12-2 lead. Fresno State’s nine players dejectedly walked off the field, as if they’d been walked off in a mercy-rule defeat.

But the field crew reminded the Bulldogs that in the NCAA tournament, no matter how many runs you trail by, both teams play nine innings. The Bruins still had seven more runs to score in the eighth inning Friday.

It wasn’t Big Ten player of the year Roch Cholowsky — the 20-year-old who dreamed of Omaha when he chose the Bruins over entering the MLB draft — who led the offensive barrage that gave UCLA a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The middle of the UCLA lineup helped produce a rally as they had all year.

UCLA’s Dean West makes contact during the Bruins’ blowout win over Fresno State on Friday.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Levu — who led the Bruins in regular-season RBI with 74 and led UCLA with five RBI against Fresno State — singled into left field to start the rally. Cleanup hitter Roman Martin brought home the first run of the game with a single into left. Payton Brennan and Blake Balsz (who tallied his third-career, three-hit game) connected for back-to-back RBI base hits, solidifying a lead as the Bulldogs awaited the walk back to the dugout for a mid-inning reprieve.

“The nice part about today is I was just trying to simplify everything and trust that my teammates are gonna pick me up,” Balsz said.

Before Fresno State starting pitcher Jack Anker knew it, UCLA strung together four runs in the blink of an eye, creating distance against the Mountain West champions they never made up.

Martin connected for a third-inning solo home run — his seventh of the year — while Balsz joined his teammate with multiple RBI after a run-scoring single a few batters later.

“One of the huge things we talked about, one of our offensive goals is to score first, and that’s really a huge momentum shift for us,” Martin said. “It definitely kind of took a little bit off, especially during our first playoff game, kind of eased us into it a little bit.”

UCLA tagged Anker for six earned runs and 10 hits across five innings, holding the Bulldogs junior who entered the game averaging 10.5 strikeouts-per-nine innings to just two punchouts. The two strikeouts were the second-fewest Anker forced against an opposing team this season.

UCLA pitcher Michael Barnett delivers during the first inning Friday.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Barnett’s outing on the mound was an obstacle much like his routine before toeing the Jackie Robinson Stadium mound. The sinkerballer struggled with command against the Bulldogs, throwing just 40 strikes among 74 pitches, and lasted just 4⅓ innings before UCLA coach John Savage pulled Barnett with runners on the corners and one out in the fifth.

Southpaw Chris Grothues, a junior in his first season of high-leverage pitching opportunities, broke Barnett out of the inherited jam with a 3-6-1 double play to end the inning. Grothues then spun a scoreless sixth — placing the Bruins in cruise control for the rest of the contest, earning the victory.

“They did a really good job against Barnett,” Savage said, adding that he felt lucky to be up 6-2 entering the seventh. “Our bullpen did a nice job. Grothues came in, got that double play. That was a big play — the 3-6-1 — that was a big momentum swing.”

Cholowsky, who also led the nation in wins-above-replacement with 6.36, according to D1Baseball, still collected two hits Friday.

Leadoff hitter Dean West was hit by a pitch three times by Bulldog pitchers, the last of which brought home a run to make it 9-2 in the bottom of the seventh.

Brennan hit a two-run home run in the eighth, while catcher Cashel Dugger also pulled a solo home run over the right-field wall for the Bruins’ 15th run.

UCLA advances to the winner’s bracket where it’ll face the winner of the UC Irvine-Arizona State game late Friday. The Bruins split midweek season series against both the Anteaters and the Sun Devils.

BRITS chasing the sun this summer could face fresh holiday hell as bar staff prepare to strike during peak season.

It comes after 80,000 employees took to the streets in Tenerife earlier in the year demanding better pay and working conditions.

6

6

6

In a move that could spark chaos for Brits travelling to Tenerife this summer, union bosses said industrial action could start as early as July.

The unions, Sindicalistas de Base and UGT, have issued bosses with an ultimatum, warning of a major walk out if they are not granted a 6.5 per cent salary bump.

They have made it clear that no further negotiations will happen if these conditions are not met.

This isn’t the first time Tenerife has been at the centre of sweeping industrial action.

Last month, cleaners and restaurant workers in the sunny hotspot took to the streets after deeming an offer from their employer not acceptable.

The tourism employers’ association, formed by Ashotel and AERO, had offered a four per cent increase in pay for workers, hoping it would prevent them from protesting during the Easter holidays.

But unions wanted 6.25 per cent.

They said their decision was unanimous and would not change plans to strike against tourists.

With over 170,000 tourism workers in the Canary Islands set to protest, business owners about to welcome thousands of tourists were despairing.

They planned to demonstrate in all the tourist hotspots, including Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote.

By law, strikers have to provide a “minimum service” but the unions said hotel cleaning, food and entertainment don’t fall into this category.

They said they must try and preserve the health of hotel workers and provide them with the very best of working conditions.

Elsewhere, locals flooded the streets to protest against mass tourism in the area.

Activists vowed to storm popular tourist attractions, disrupt public events and “confront political leaders” in a fiery new phase of protests kicking off May 18 — right as peak holiday season begins.

“From now on, we will take our fight to the very spaces where their predatory model is perpetuated,” declared pressure group Canarias tiene un límite (The Canaries Have a Limit).

“We will boycott public events, confront political leaders during their appearances and occupy symbolic tourist spaces to make it clear that we will not stop until real change is achieved.”

“The Canary Islands can no longer be a postcard backdrop for the enjoyment of a privileged few,” the statement read.

In a separate warning, the group said: “This cry, which reflects the feelings of a people tired of being ignored and mistreated, will be the beginning of a new stage of struggle: firmer, more direct, more uncomfortable for those who refuse to listen to us and take real measures.”

The backlash follows a 170,000-strong hotel and restaurant workers’ strike across the islands just days ago, with locals slamming low wages and poor working conditions in the booming holiday industry.

In June last year, beach workers also walked off the job over what unions called “precarious” conditions.

As tensions boil over, the Canary Islands Government has now announced plans to completely overhaul its outdated 30-year-old tourism laws in a landmark reform effort.

Alfonso Cabello, spokesperson for the regional government, said: “We’re doing this the Canary Islands way — extending a hand and listening to everyone.”

The sweeping reforms aim to tackle everything from sky-high housing costs in tourist areas to crumbling infrastructure and overworked public services.

6

6

6

CLEVELAND — Mike Trout originally expected to return to the Angels’ lineup on Monday in Boston.

It turns out the timeline was moved up one series and three days.

Trout was activated off the injured list before Friday night’s game against the Cleveland Guardians. The Angels slugger missed 26 games with soreness in his left knee eventually diagnosed as a bone bruise. The three-time American League MVP had two operations last year on the knee after tearing his meniscus.

“I’m just itching to get out there,” Trout said before the game. “I think came out of the other day (of running bases) good. I wasn’t too sore or anything, I told them I was good enough to go out there and have some good at-bats.”

Trout’s return comes with something he hasn’t done in his 15-year big league career. This will be the first time in 1,532 starts that he will be hitting fifth in the lineup.

The only other time Trout batted fifth in 1,547 previous games was on May 14, 2022, against the Athletics, when he entered in the fourth inning and finished the game in center field.

“We know where Mike Trout is in the order. It doesn’t matter where he is hitting, he could be hitting ninth,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “It’s got to be a different feeling for sure for them. I mean, he’s been in the two or three hole for what, 12 years now? But he’s still a really good player.”

Manager Ron Washington is happy to have Trout back, especially since he noted Trout wasn’t aggressive in rushing back. Washington also knows that Trout isn’t ready to return to his normal spot batting second or third.

“He hasn’t seen anything. So when you look at what we have, that’s where he sits,” Washington said. “It doesn’t make sense for him to protect (Logan) O’Hoppe. So I’ll put Mike behind him to protect O’Hoppe. He’s not ready to be at the top of the lineup, especially with those guys up there. As we go along the next couple of days, he’s not going to remain fifth.”

The 33-year old Trout was hitting .179 with nine home runs, 18 RBIs and a .727 OPS in 29 games before the injury. He will be the designated hitter for the weekend series against the Guardians before possibly returning to right field when the Halos head to Boston on Monday for a three-game series.

Even though Trout has shied away from wanting to be the designated hitter, he has done well in that spot. In seven games this season, he is eight for 28 (.286) with six home runs and nine RBIs.

Trout said whether or not he plays more games than originally planned at DH the remainder of the season is something that remains to be seen.

“Bone bruises are tricky. I know I am going to be sore but I can deal with it,” he said. “I definitely have to be cautious, especially the first couple games.”

Trout’s return comes with the Angels on a five-game skid after an eight-game winning streak that included a three-game sweep of the defending World Series champion Dodgers. Los Angeles were 25-30 going into Friday’s game.

“There’s so many games that any sense of newness or something to make you excited is something that you’d latch on to. So today is definitely a moment like that,” O’Hoppe said about Trout’s return. “He’s the heart of this organization. So we’re happy to have our heart beating again for sure.”

Trout has missed 404 of the Angels’ 664 games — almost 61% — since May 17, 2021, when he tore his calf muscle against Cleveland and was sidelined for the rest of that season. This is the fifth straight year he has had a stint of at least 25 games on the IL.

He missed five weeks of the 2022 season with a back injury, and all but one game after July 3 in 2023 after he broke a bone in his hand on a foul ball. Trout played in 29 games last season before the meniscus injury.

I still remember the goal that made me feel lucky for living in Los Angeles during the era of Carlos Vela.

It was a cool Wednesday night in August 2019, and I was standing in the 200-level section of what is now known as BMO Stadium, trying to process what I had just seen. In the 41st minute of the match against the visiting San Jose Earthquakes, Los Angeles Football Club winger Diego Rossi fed Vela the ball a few yards outside the opponent’s box. The Mexico-born player effortlessly avoided a sliding tackle from behind, dribbled past a helpless defender and juked the keeper out of position, who fell to the ground, leaving the goal wide open. Another Quakes defender tried desperately to prevent the inevitable, but Vela easily sidestepped him and casually tapped the ball into the back of the net for his second goal of the night, and his 26th of the season.

It was the textbook definition of a golazo.

LAFC would go on to win 4-0, another victory in the team’s historic run to clinch the Supporters’ Shield, the first ever piece of hardware for the expansion team. Vela would finish the 2019 season with 34 goals (a single-season Major League Soccer record that still stands), 15 assists and MVP honors, delivering what many consider to be the single greatest individual performance in a season in league history.

On Tuesday, Vela, 36, announced his retirement from professional soccer. After nearly two decades of playing in four different countries; after representing Mexico at the international level in 72 matches; and after helping LAFC win two Supporters’ Shields and an MLS Cup, Charlie Candle is hanging up his cleats and calling it quits.

“Helping to build LAFC and winning trophies for the club is a highlight of my career,” Vela said via a statement released by the team. “This club means so much to me and my family, and I am proud of everything we have accomplished together with the great fans of Los Angeles.”

LAFC also announced that Vela would remain with the team as a club ambassador.

Learning of Vela’s retirement made me reflect on the feeling of excitement I felt that evening. I remember pulling up the highlight on YouTube and watching it over and over again. He was a wizard on the pitch, making the impossible look so easy and effortless. With each viewing, my admiration gave way to appreciation. I was thankful that the most gifted footballer in Mexican history was playing in my city, and that I could witness his greatness firsthand.

I didn’t always feel this way.

When LAFC announced in 2017, months before its inaugural season, that Vela would be its first star player, I was disappointed. Like most fans of the Mexican men’s national team, I interpreted his decision to leave Spanish club Real Sociedad for a U.S. team with no legacy or history as strictly a business move. Since launching in 1996, MLS has frequently attracted some of the biggest Mexican soccer legends. Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Rafa Marquez, Jorge Campos, Luis Hernandez, Carlos Hermosillo, Hugo Sanchez all played for MLS clubs during the waning years of their careers.

Vela, who was 28 at the time, was still in his prime. His successful multiyear stint in La Liga proved that he could go toe to toe with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. I wanted him to stay where he was, or at least move to a bigger European club. I felt that it was his obligation to sharpen his skills against the world’s best so that he could give Mexico a better chance at winning the World Cup, or, at the very least, move past the Round of 16 stage of the tournament. Never mind that Vela had already opted out of playing at the 2014 World Cup because of a strained relationship with the Mexican federation for non-soccer reasons.

Vela was the chosen one. He was a key member of the Mexico squad that won the 2005 FIFA under-17 World Cup (Vela was the tournament’s top goalscorer), and was at one point signed to English Premier League club Arsenal, which saw the young striker/winger as a potential heir to French superstar Thierry Henry.

For many, Vela choosing to play in the U.S. felt like a betrayal, and it further legitimized the accusation that Vela was perfectly fine squandering his talent. The prevailing narrative was that he treated soccer as nothing more than a job. The enigmatic footballer didn’t help his case by telling the press that he would much rather “watch a basketball game than a soccer one.”

My very strong feelings about what Carlos Vela should do with his career and his life didn’t stop me from going to LAFC’s home opener months later. Did I think he was slumming it? Absolutely. But he was still in his prime! And it just so happened that the small pond Vela chose to be a big fish in was a few miles from my house.

As the season progressed, my curiosity turned into casual interest, which quickly morphed into fandom. I even bought merch, a line I told myself I would never cross. Vela single-handedly made someone who had always looked at MLS with suspicion all of a sudden care about what happened in the league. My biggest soccer loves will forever be Club América and Liga MX, but Vela forced me to make some room in my heart for the black and gold.

None of this would have been possible if Vela had mailed it in. In all the times I watched him play, whether in person or on television, I never got the impression that he was going through the motions. He always fought hard for the ball and constantly tried to be the best player on the pitch. It was as if Vela derived pleasure in being a human highlight reel.

Los Angeles FC’s Carlos Vela hoists the trophy alongside teammates after defeating the Philadelphia Union in a penalty-kick shootout to win the MLS Cup soccer match Nov. 5, 2022, in Los Angeles.

(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)

When LAFC finally won the MLS Cup in 2022, defeating the Philadelphia Union in penalties, it was an overjoyed Vela who lifted the trophy. He didn’t look like someone who was just clocking in and out. Vela embraced living in Los Angeles, and Los Angeles immediately embraced him back. I imagine that living in a universe full of stars afforded him some reprieve from the media scrutiny he has been subjected to for two decades. I’m sure it made it easier to love the game.

MLS and LAFC are deeply indebted to Vela. His move to L.A. helped an expansion club become one of the best teams in the league, as well as the most valuable soccer franchise in North America. According to Sportico, a news outlet specializing in the intersection of sports and business, LAFC has a $1.2-billion valuation, making it the 16th most valuable soccer franchise in the world.

“From the beginning, Carlos has been more than just a player — he has been the heartbeat, the captain, and the face of LAFC,” John Thorrington, the team’s co-president and general manager, said via a statement. “Carlos arrived in Los Angeles with a shared vision of building something truly special, and he delivered on that promise in every way. From unforgettable goals to historic victories, Carlos helped make LAFC what it is today.”

Sounds like the club ought to build Vela a statue. They can certainly afford it.

Do I still wish that he had played more for Mexico, or tried to max out his potential in Europe? Absolutely.

But I also can’t begrudge another Mexican for finding his bliss in our fair city. That would make me a hypocrite.

New music we’re vibing to: ‘Gorgeous,’ by Isabella Lovestory

Beginning this week, the Latinx Files will feature a section that highlights new releases that have caught our ear.

In fusing Y2K-era bubblegum with racy reggaetón coqueteo, Honduran singer-producer Isabella Lovestory has successfully captured the femme fatale spirit of the modern Latina baddie. She garnered ample buzz for her neo-perreo fusion in 2020’s “Mariposa,” and continues the momentum in her new single “Gorgeous,” a confidence-boosting track sung in Spanglish. Evoking the slinky pop-adjacent bounce of R&B legends like Aaliyah and Destiny’s Child, “Gorgeous” will appear on Lovestory’s upcoming album “Vanity,” out June 27.

— Suzy Exposito

Comic: Good immigrant, bad immigrant.

Periodically, the newsletter will feature a comic strip from a contributing artist. This week’s offering comes courtesy of Julio Salgado, a queer Mexicano-born artist who grew up in Long Beach, Calif. Through the use of art, Salgado has become a well-known activist within the DREAM Act movement. Salgado uses his art to empower undocumented and queer people by telling their story and putting a human face to the issue.

(Julio Salgado/For De Los)

Stories we read this week that we think you should read

How “Uvalde Mom” director Anayansi Prado captured the heart of a town in trauma

The director of new documentary “Uvalde Mom” spoke with The Times about capturing a Texas community shaken by a mass shooting.

In Vietnam, an unlikely outpost for Chicano culture

An outpost for Chicano culture in Vietnam attracts community — and occasional concerns among older generations inclined to associate tattoos with gangs.

Esai Morales is the bad guy in “Mission Impossible.” He’s embracing it

The Brooklyn-born Puerto Rican actor discusses his villainous role in “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” and speaks on his legacy.

For rising corrido star Óscar Maydon, humility is key

On the heels of his performance at Chicago’s Sueños Festival, the Mexican singer-songwriter talks about his upcoming album, his first headlining U.S. tour and the true meaning of his big hit, “Tu Boda.”

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Chris Taylor looks weird in an Angels uniform.

Here we are, a little over a third of the way through the season, so let’s take a look at how the Dodgers stack up in various categories.

OPS+
A league average OPS+ is 100. Anything above that is good, anything below, not as good. And the higher of lower your OPS+, the better or worse you are. OPS is on-base% plus slugging%:

Freddie Freeman, 194 (Freeman is 94% better than the league average hitter)
Shohei Ohtani, 191
Will Smith, 178
Teoscar Hernández, 151
Hyeseong Kim, 144
Andy Pages, 116
Mookie Betts, 111
Kiké Hernández, 108
Tommy Edman, 100
Max Muncy, 94
Michael Conforto, 73
Dalton Rushing, 68
James Outman, 67
Miguel Rojas, 66
Austin Barnes, 47
Chris Taylor, 29

ERA+
Same as OPS+, only for pitching. Minimum 10 innings

Rotation
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 198 (Yamamoto is 98% better than the league average hitter)
Dustin May, 93
Tyler Glasnow, 88
Tony Gonsolin, 84
Roki Sasaki, 83
Clayton Kershaw, 82
Landon Knack, 75

Bullpen
Ben Casparius, 140
Jack Dreyer, 130
Matt Sauer, 130
Alex Vesia, 117
Luis García, 103
Antony Banda, 98
Kirby Yates, 91
Tanner Scott, 85

Inherited runners who scored %
League average is 32.4%

Ben Casparius, 0% (0 of 5 inherited runners have scored)
Evan Phillips, 0% (0 of 3)
Matt Sauer, 0% (0 of 3)
Lou Trivino, 0% (0 of 3)
Tanner Scott, 0% (0 of 2)
Jack Dreyer, 20% (1 of 5)
Luis García, 25% (3 of 12)
Alex Vesia, 45.6% (5 of 11)
Kirby Yates, 33.3% (1 of 3)
Anthony Banda, 37.5% (3 of 8)
Team, 23.6% (13 of 55)

Where the Dodgers rank as a team in various stats (numbers, except winning percentage, are through Wednesday)

Winning percentage
1. Detroit, 37-20, .649
2. Philadelphia, 36-20, .643
3. N.Y. Yankees, 35-20, .636
4. Chicago Cubs, 35-21, .625
5. Dodgers, 34-22, .607
5. N.Y. Mets, 34-22, .607
7. San Diego, 31-23, .574

Note: The Dodgers are projected to win 98 games. Last season, they won 99.

Offense

Runs per game

1. Chicago Cubs, 5.89
2. Dodgers, 5.61
3. N.Y. Yankees, 5.55
4. Detroit, 5.05
5. Arizona, 4.98

Batting average
1. Dodgers, .263
2. Chicago Cubs, .262
3. St. Louis, .262
4. N.Y. Yankees, .259
5. Philadelphia, .259

On-base %
1. N.Y. Yankees, .343
1. Dodgers, .341
4. Philadelphia, .336
3. Chicago Cubs, .335
5. St. Louis, .333

Slugging %
1. N.Y. Yankees, .466
2. Dodgers, .458
3. Chicago Cubs, .450
4. Arizona, .445
5. Boston, .419

Doubles
1. Arizona, 110
2. Boston, 106
2. St. Louis, 106
3. Chicago Cubs, 105
5. N.Y. Yankees, 103
9. Dodgers, 93

Triples
1. Colorado, 15
2. Chicago Cubs, 13
3. N.Y. Mets, 12
4. Arizona, 11
4. Kansas City, 11
T8. Dodgers, 9

Home runs
1. N.Y. Yankees, 88
2. Dodgers, 87
3. Angels, 79
3. Chicago Cubs, 79
5. Arizona, 77

Walks
1. N.Y. Yankees, 225
2. Dodgers, 216
3. Chicago Cubs, 212
4. Seattle, 210
5. N.Y. Mets, 207

Strikeouts
1. Colorado, 549
2. Angels, 542
3. Boston, 522
4. Detroit, 510
5. Cincinnati, 508
T12. Dodgers, 464

Stolen Bases
1. Tampa Bay, 76
2. Milwaukee, 74
3. Chicago Cubs, 72
4. Pittsburgh, 56
5. Boston, 54
5. Cincinnati, 54
T19. Dodgers, 38

Pitching

ERA
1. N.Y. Mets, 2.87
2. Kansas City, 3.15
3. Texas, 3.19
4. San Francisco, 3.22
5. Detroit, 3.23
21. Dodgers, 4.09

Rotation ERA
1. Texas, 2.87
1. N.Y. Mets, 2.91
3. Kansas City, 3.02
4. Philadelphia, 3.15
5. Detroit, 3.22
22. Dodgers, 4.20

Rotation innings
1. Kansas City, 324.2
2. Arizona, 313.1
3. Pittsburgh, 311.2
4. Philadelphia, 311
5. Tampa Bay, 310.1
29. Dodgers, 259.1

Bullpen ERA
1. San Francisco, 2.48
2. Houston, 2.67
3. N.Y. Mets, 2.91
4. Minnesota, 3.18
5. N.Y. Yankees, 3.25
17. Dodgers, 3.98

Bullpen innings
1. Dodgers, 239.2
2. Milwaukee, 229.2
3. Miami, 221.1
4. Boston, 215.2
5. Chicago White Sox, 212.2

Baserunners per 9 IP
1. Houston, 1.148
2. N.Y. Yankees, 1.149
3. Detroit, 1.156
4. Minnesota, 1.159
5. Texas, 1.161
18. Dodgers, 1.291

Unearned runs allowed
1. Tampa Bay, 10
2. Washington, 12
3. Houston, 13
4. Atlanta, 14
4. Minnesota, 14
20. Dodgers, 22

Fewest walks allowed
1. Minnesota, 133
2. Tampa Bay, 153
3. St. Louis, 155
4. Toronto, 157
5. Kansas City, 158
22. Dodgers, 193

Strikeouts
1. Philadelphia, 531
2. N.Y. Yankees, 528
3. Houston, 519
4. Dodgers, 516
5. N.Y. Mets, 498

Fewest home runs allowed
1. N.Y. Mets, 36
2. San Francisco, 41
3. St. Louis, 42
4. N.Y. Yankees, 46
4. Pittsburgh, 47
24. Dodgers, 69

Saves
1. Philadelphia, 19
1. San Diego, 19
3. Kansas City, 18
3. Seattle, 18
T5. Dodgers, 17

Blown saves
1, Boston, 14
2. Dodgers, 12
2. Athletics, 12
4. Arizona, 11
4. Pittsburgh, 11
4. Chicago White Sox, 11

Yes, I know, that’s a lot of numbers I’ve thrown at you. But before we can analyze any team weaknesses, there needs to be proof of what we are talking about.

And look at those pitching numbers. Not ideal. In the bottom half of most categories. But let me draw your attention to two key stats: The Dodgers are next to last in the majors in innings pitched by their starting rotation. And they are first in innings pitched by their bullpen. The offense has been carrying the team. And if the bullpen continues to pitch this many innings, they will be burned out by the time October gets here.

There is no fix. We can only wait for the pitchers on the IL to get healthy, especially Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell. And for Evan Phillips and Blake Treinen, among others, to return to the bullpen. We are 56 games into the season, and the Dodgers have already used 27 pitchers. They’ve had to use guys such as Ryan Loutos, Noah Davis and J.P. Feyereisen to pitch for them. This does not seem sustainable over a full season. Of course, there’s still 106 games to go.

Muncy and Conforto

The two players still drawing the most negative attention on the team are Max Muncy and Michael Conforto. They both have had lengthy, lengthy, lengthy slumps. But they are both showing signs of coming out of it.

Since May 4, Muncy is hitting .250/.365/.426. That’s solid.
Since May 10, Conforto is hitting .267/.389/.444. Also good.

Some Dodger fans would like the team to trade some prospects for a replacement for Muncy or Conforto, or both. But as we can see in the previous item, the offense isn’t the problem. And with the Dodgers’ luck, if they traded for a pitcher, he’d get hurt in his first appearance.

Or, as the great coach Norman Dale once said, “I would hope you would support who we are. Not who we are not.”

The Yankees are coming

The Yankees come to town this weekend for a three-game series. A rematch of last year’s World Series.

And as good as Shohei Ohtani is as a hitter, Aaron Judge is every bit as good. He’s hitting only .391/.488/.739 this season, with 14 doubles, 18 homers and 47 RBIs.

Some Yankees were upset during the offseason, feeling the Dodgers took too much glee and rubbed it in about the Yankees’ metdown in the fifth inning of Game 5.

Yankees closer Luke Weaver told Times reporter Bill Shaikin recently: “The way I personally look at it is, when you go out and you are on the right side of the victory, you’ve got a leg to stand on. When you lose, you ain’t got much to say. They said what they said. That’s what they felt. I don’t take it too personally. In a perfect world, yeah, you don’t want to hear that type of stuff. We know what happened. We know we had to do a better job. We just didn’t quite do what we wanted to do. With that being said, it is what it is.”

It should be a fun series to watch. And if the Yankees win two of three or sweep, don’t believe it when a sportswriter or broadcaster tells you “The Yankees avenged last year’s World Series.” No, they didn’t. One of the first lessons I learned as a sports reporter: Winning a regular season series the following season does not avenge a postseason loss. People writing that are relying on a tired cliche.

The Tanner Scott problem

Tanner Scott has three blown saves in his last five appearances. costing the Dodgers against Arizona, the Mets and Cleveland.

“I’m not putting [guys] away,” Scott told Jack Harris before the blown save against Cleveland. “I’m not getting the swing-and-miss, and I’m keeping the ball in the zone too much.”

The Dodgers don’t have much of a choice but to keep sending Scott out there (he does have 10 saves), as Harris noted:

“Fellow high-leverage relievers Evan Phillips (forearm discomfort), Blake Treinen (forearm sprain), Kirby Yates (hamstring strain) and Michael Kopech (shoulder impingement) are all out injured. And while Kopech is on a minor-league rehab assignment, and Yates and Treinen are both beginning throwing programs, Phillips’ absence is starting to become “concerning,” Dave Roberts acknowledged this weekend, with the team’s former ninth-inning fixture now going on three weeks without throwing because of an injury initially expected to keep him out for only the minimum 15 days.”

Every closer goes through rough patches. In previous seasons, the Dodgers had so much pitching depth that when a key reliever started to struggle a bit, they could let him pitch in low-leverage situations for a while until he regained his form. This season, they don’t have that luxury. Treinen, Phillips, Yates, Kopech are hurt. The odds are that Scott will rebound.

Chris Taylor update

Chris Taylor, released by the Dodgers last week, signed with the Angels, so he will be staying in the area.

“I’m excited to stay home — I get to live at home,” Taylor said before his first game. “The Angels have been playing really good baseball, so I’m excited to join the team and hopefully get on the field. That was one thing with the Dodgers this year, just my role, I wasn’t getting on the field that much. So I’m really just looking forward to, like, getting consistent at-bats and playing time.

“First and foremost, I want to perform on the field. I want to help this team win ballgames. I feel like I have a lot to prove to myself. I haven’t performed to how I feel I’m capable of playing the last couple seasons, and I kind of want to turn that around.”

On the Dodgers releasing him: “It was emotional. I’ve been on the Dodgers for nine years, but I do believe it was time for me. It was my time to kind of start fresh, hopefully turn the page, start a new chapter. I’m excited to do that here.”

Taylor is one for nine with five strikeouts with the Angels.

All-time leaders

The Dodgers’ all-time leaders in home runs:

Franchise
1. Duke Snider, 389
2. Gil Hodges, 361
3. Eric Karros, 270
4. Roy Campanella, 242
5. Ron Cey, 228
6. Steve Garvey, 211
7. Matt Kemp, 203
8. Max Muncy, 194
9. Carl Furillo, 192
10. Mike Piazza, 177

Los Angeles only
1. Eric Karros, 270
2. Ron Cey, 228
3. Steve Garvey, 211
4. Matt Kemp, 203
5. Max Muncy, 194
6. Mike Piazza, 177
7. Pedro Guerrero, 171
8. Raúl Mondesi, 163
9. Andre Ethier, 162
9. Shawn Green, 162
11. Justin Turner, 156
12. Willie Davis, 154
13. Cody Bellinger, 152
14. Adrian Beltré, 147
15. Dusty Baker, 144
16. Mookie Betts, 140
17. Mike Marshall, 137
18. Joc Pederson, 130
19. Gary Sheffield, 129
20. Frank Howard, 123

Up next

Friday: N.Y. Yankees (*Max Fried, 7-0, 1.29 ERA) at Dodgers (Tony Gonsolin, 2-1, 4.68 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Apple TV+, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: N.Y. Yankees (Will Warren, 3-2, 4.09 ERA) at Dodgers (Landon Knack, 2-2, 5.22 ERA), 4:10 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: N.Y. Yankees (*Ryan Yarbrough, 2-0, 3.06 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 6-3, 1.97 ERA), 4 p.m., ESPN2, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-hander

In case you missed it

Shaikin: ‘Another log on the fire.’ Yankees eager to avenge World Series meltdown against Dodgers

‘A major league shortstop, on a championship club.’ Why Dodgers don’t plan to move Mookie Betts

Dodgers acquire former All-Star closer Alexis Díaz in trade with Reds

Chris Taylor is staying in SoCal. Angels sign former Dodgers utilityman

The simple adjustment the Dodgers hope will get closer Tanner Scott back on track

Shohei Ohtani throws live batting practice session 19 months after Tommy John surgery

‘It’s reimagining team travel.’ Why the Dodgers are using two planes on road trips this year

And finally

Vin Scully and the city of Nashville honor Jim Gilliam. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.