ABC’s long-running reality series Shark Tank entertains the masses by turning the American Dream into a one-size fits all sales pitch. Its formula is simple: inventors from all types of industries stand in front of a panel of uber-influential business types, begging them to take a chance on funding their unique start-ups. The “sharks,” names like real estate tycoon Barbara Corcoran and billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, make promises — of funds, fame, and fortune — in exchange for a percentage of the profits.
Unfortunately for ex-NFL player and boneless BBQ maker Al “Bubba” Baker, no one warned him about the lawsuits and restraining orders that can come once the deal is made.
According to an investigation by the LA Times and a recent People report, Shark Tank celebrity Daymond John is seeking a temporary restraining order against Baker after their joint business went bust. John, who’s made some stellar deals during the series’ run, including his investment in the mission-focused sock company, Bombas, has been accused by the Baker family of negotiating in bad faith and causing their Bubba Q’s Boneless Baby Back Ribs company to fail. The Bakers told the Times that John, along with his personal lawyer, food supplier Rastelli Foods Group, and previous Shark Tank contestant Nate Holzapfel (who’s awaiting trial on 15 felony criminal charges), pushed them out of the family business, taking their profits and revising deal terms behind their backs.
The family says they’ve only seen about 4% of the business’s stated $16 million in profits since their Shark Tank episode aired, accusing John and company of restricting their access to bank accounts and refusing to be transparent about the financial terms of partnerships with chains like Hardees and Carl’s Jr. Though this isn’t the first lawsuit John has fielded — or the only Shark Tank investment he’s been accused of undermining — the star claimed the reporting from the LA Times was “flawed,” filled with disparaging comments that lead him to seek the restraining order.
“After repeated attempts to give the Baker’s the ability to correct their violations. It is unfortunate that it has come to this,” Daymond’s spokesperson, Zach Rosenfield told People. “This temporary restraining order is due to the Baker’s blatant actions to undermine a business partnership and the legal parameters they agreed to 4 years ago. Their belief that they can unwind poor business decisions through slanderous social media posts and articles will no longer be tolerated.”
Manifest fans are about to be rewarded for hanging with the show through tough times. The toughest of those moments, of course, was the moment when NBC decided to cancel the series as it stood at the height of Netflix streaming popularity. This inspired Netflix to pick the show up for a final, supersized season, and now, it’s time for the final half of those episodes to drop.
A lot of loose ends remain in Flight 828’s journey, and one must also remember that things could get bumpier than they otherwise would, had the show originally followed Jeff Rake’s six-season plan. Instead, he was tasked with crunching three seasons full of bonkers ideas into a fourth season, and of course, that’s still a good problem to have, considering that the show could have been left to wither on the vine after NBC’s move.
Still, it’s time to find out whether the doomed flight’s passengers will be able to figure out why the hell they disappeared off the radar, only to appear five years later without realizing it until they landed. Also, I still need Angelina to fall into trash compactor, and I’m sad that Zeke died because he was the most redeemingly soap-operatic character of all. Yet hopefully, everyone will be able to avoid the ultimate Death Date of June 2, 2024. And yep, that’s one year earlier than the final Manifest hurrah in real life on Netflix.
Plot
Last time around, Angelina unleashed some kind of volcanic fissure-hell, and Zeke sacrificed himself to save Cal’s life by absorbing the cancer. So, expect Michaela to be pretty moody while possibly also reconnecting with Jared, but Ghost Zeke will also appear on the scene before the show ends, so watch out. Furthermore, Ben and Saanvi will get themselves in trouble while seeking to forge a mutually beneficial relationship with the 828 Registry authorities. Everyone is also staring down the looming Death Date, and Angelina will grow increasingly dangerous, and god, will someone take her out already?
Cast
Well first off, Ty Doran is still portraying New Cal after the character touched an airplane wing and magically aged five years. The rest of the cast remains a largely-intact vast ensemble, including Melissa Roxburgh as Michaela Stone, Josh Dallas as Ben Stone, Parveen Kaur as Saanvi Bahl, J.R. Ramirez as Jared Vasquez, Luna Blaise as Olive Stone, and Holly Taylor as Angelina. Additionally, Matt Long is back, but he’s not Zeke, he is Ghost Zeke.
Release Date
Manifest comes in for that final landing on Friday, June 2.
Trailer
Enjoy the Ghost Zeke!
All four manifest Manifest seasons are streaming on Netflix
Last year was a big one for London rapper Central Cee. After the release of his 23 project, Cee went on to release the biggest song of his career with “Doja.” The track helped him become more of a recognizable name, especially among fellow London rappers like Dave. All of this has now resulted in “Sprinter,” the first-ever collaboration between the two rappers, and it’s one perfect for summer.
Dave and Central Cee’s new record arrives with a matching video that showcases the pros and cons of their playboy lifestyles. The duo flashes their diamonds and other riches while rapping about their accounters with women since they’ve become famous. Lines like, “We ain’t got generational wealth, it’s only a year that I’ve had these millions” from Central Cee and followed by equally opulent lines from Dave like, “You ever spent six figures and stared at bae like, ‘Look what you made me do.’” It all comes together with a simple that finds Central Cee rapping, “I got too many gyal, too many-many gyal, I got / They can last me the next two weeks.”
Hopefully “Sprinter” is a sign of more music to come from both rappers. Central Cee’s last release came at the top of the year with “Me & You” while Dave’s own dates back to last summer with “My 24th Birthday.”
You watch the video for “Sprinter” in the video above.
A New York appeals court has upheld the 2021 ruling against Parlux in Jay-Z’s lawsuit against the brand, confirming that the brand owes him nearly $7 million in unpaid royalties. While a 2022 report originally detailed a $4.5 million payout was owed, Billboard reported today that after losing its appeal, Parlux now owes Jay $6.8 million.
The company originally sued Jay-Z for breach of contract in 2016, asking for $67 million after claiming it had lost $18 million on a 2013 fragrance partnership with the rap mogul due to his refusal to follow through on his obligations to promote it. Among the accusations was one that Jay had foregone promotional appearances and kept a $20,000 prototype bottle after rejecting its design for use on the line.
Jay countersued, saying that the company had given him sketchy, inaccurate documentation on its financial health and failed to pay all the royalties he was owed over the course of the partnership. The 2021 trial took three weeks, after which a jury determined that Jay did not owe Parlux; then, New York Supreme Court Justice Andrew Borrok ruled Parlux owes Jay-Z $6.78 million in unpaid royalties, including interest.
Parlux’s appeal hinged on a belief that the trial judge had improperly instructed the jury about requirements in the contract about Jay-Z’s personal appearances. According to Billboard, Parlux can continue to appeal but has not indicated any plans to do so.
Ron DeSantis has finally fired back at Donald Trump‘s infamous name-calling as the battle for the top of the Republican ticket heats up. Earlier in the year, the former president started workshopping nicknames for DeSantis when it became clear that the Florida governor would be his biggest threat in the GOP primary. Some of those names include “Meatball Ron,” and the one heck of a mouthful, “Ron DeSanctimonious,” which DeSantis has largely ignored until now.
During an appearance on the Jack Heath radio show in New Hampshire, DeSantis was asked about Trump’s name-calling, and he did not hold back.
“I think it’s so petty. I think it’s so juvenile. I don’t think that’s what voters want,” DeSantis said. The Florida governor then took things a step further by suggesting that Trump’s antics is why he lost in 2020.
“And honestly, I think that his conduct — which he’s been doing for years now — I think that’s one of the reasons he’s not in the White House now, because I think he alienated too many voters for things that really don’t matter,” the governor went on. “So I don’t get in the gutter on any of that.”
While DeSantis called out Trump for his juvenile name-calling, the former president went after the one issue that DeSantis has been leveraging in his bid for the Republican nomination: wokeness.
The Florida governor has been on the front lines of the anti-woke crusade thanks to his ongoing war with Disney, so it’s probably not a coincidence that Trump announced he’s tired of hearing the word “woke.”
“I don’t like the term ‘woke,’” Trump told a crowd in Iowa. “Because I hear the term ‘woke woke woke’ — it’s just a term they use, half the people can’t define it, they don’t know what it is.”
Earlier this year, Dr. Dre’s genre-defining album, The Chronic, returned to streaming services after being pulled in 2022 to sort out some ownership issues. While its return just barely missed out on the album’s 20th anniversary, the album’s creator isn’t letting the occasion go without celebration.
Fans looking for a physical product to celebrate the anniversary won’t be disappointed. Today, Interscope and Trophy announced “The Chronic Masters,” a series of collectibles commemorating the seismic shift caused by the album’s release. Included in the collection are replicas of the session tapes; a series of limited-edition prints of the tapes; and a series of skateboard decks bearing images of the session tapes and the album’s cover.
The runs are limited to 310 copies of each — a nod to the area code of Dre’s native Compton, California — although there are also oversized replica tapes in even more limited quantities; just 30 of each will be produced. You can find a few select images below and get more information about the drops at thechronicmasters.interscope.com.
The collection would be a worthy addition to a fan’s art collection — and, unlike NFTs, you can actually hold them in your hands. Meanwhile, another Dr. Dre production celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle, is getting a different kind of celebration: A one-weekend engagement at the Hollywood Bowl.
Yesterday (May 31), Lizzo shared her frustrations about people online commenting about her size, specifically in response to one person who wrote, “How is Lizzo still THIS fat when she’s constantly moving this much on stage?! I wonder what she must be eating.” Now, she’s spoken more on the matter via TikTok.
A new video from Lizzo shared yesterday (May 31) starts with her walking on a treadmill as songs from Beyoncé’s Renaissance album play. After that, Lizzo says, “Today was one of those days where I was very angry, very angry at the world. Saw a lot of mean sh*t about me on the internet, and I wanted to give up. There are days where the hate outweighs the love so badly that I want to quit music and just disappear. I definitely have enough money to go and buy a farm and just never f*ck with anybody ever again, because f*ck everybody. Then, I reminded myself to get up, get out, and get some sun, and I put on Renaissance.”
After citing some of her favorite lyrics from the album that she feels apply to her current situation, she continued by saying that as soon as she heard those songs, “I decided to get up, and get out, and get some sun, and you can, too. Love you.”
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
FX’s Justified: City Primeval is nearly upon us. How long have we waited for Raylan Givens to swagger back into our hearts and vanquish some bad guys as everyone’s favorite extralegal lawman? So many days that I cannot bear to count them, and I can only hope that much ice cream is involved.
We recently discussed one Justified episode, “Long In The Tooth,” that makes an ideal essential rewatch before City Primeval. That particular episode showcased Raylan’s legendary status and also served as a reminder of how the Marshall Out Of Water rolls around in the world. He should also have a swell time hunting bad guys in Motor City, where his hat and boots will again be observable outside the hollers of Kentucky. The revival is based on Elmore Leonard’s City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit novel.
A few thoughts before we begin:
First, there’s never a bad time to circle back to Olyphant’s many onscreen rodeos as a lawman. He’s certainly doing nothing to deter his reputation as a charismatic wearer of badges. And he is undeniably well-suited to these swaggering roles. He can’t stop gripping that gun in the holster while strutting through America and the galaxy at large. Sure, there’s the occasional not-so-great entry — like the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000), in which Olyphant was cursed with a completely generic cop character. We shall disregard that one and focus on his better lawman joints.
Second, this is also as fine a reason as any to circle back to some non-lawman Olyphant roles, which are necessarily less celebrated, but don’t let that deter you. Don’t expect a lot of prestige from these projects, either, because we are revisiting them for fun and to distract ourselves with variety before he reprises the Raylan role (and it’s about damn time).
With that said, I reckon that we should dive into both categories.
Top 5 Olyphant Lawmen Roles
5. The Crazies (2010)
Overture Films
This horror remake accomplished much more, thematically, than the original George Romero flick while also diving deep into the genre in such an intelligent way that the results were, well, a bit much. Yes, maybe this was too cerebral to be mega-successful as a genre picture (although it did well enough financially), and although this isn’t technically a zombie film, a lot of the motifs that run through those movies remain the same. Olyphant’s small-town sheriff finds himself navigating the early stages of an outbreak that turns people into irrational, unstoppable killers, and sh*t gets real with the military as martial law descends. Granted, it’s a frightening watch, but it bypasses the usual horror tropes, and we get to see him in a serious genre take many years before he went on to star in a comedic zombie series on Netflix.
This project also arrived at an interesting point in his career: a few years after Deadwood ended as an HBO TV series but right before Justified launched on FX. Any Olyphant-lawman completist should put this film on their list, but it’s not as wonderful as his other badge-filled turns for a few reasons: (1) This is not the typical Olyphant lawman who’s confidently equipped to deal with every situation, so he’s not as satisfying to witness if you’re looking for his usual mythical bent; (2) He does not wear a hat here, and I’m not sorry to say that, yes, this makes a difference.
This is where things get tricky, fast, because it feels somewhat criminal to rank five wonderful Olyphant performances that are all worthy of appreciation. How lucky are we, really, to have this guy embracing various incarnations of the way that he knows people love to see him most? He’s a charming rascal, and he knows it. Let’s be honest, I’d even watch him don sheriff-y attire and simply make oatmeal in a slow cooker (something that he actually does in real life, although with hat status unknown) for a full season. There’s a nice suggestion for a streaming service to have for free. You are welcome.
With that said, Olyphant’s Fargo appearance didn’t reel me in quite as much as I hoped that it would. I do love where Deafy got his nickname and the whole kicking-in-the-door move and the endearing carrot-stick offering, but this recurring role doesn’t allow the Olyphant quality to shine. He’s part of an ensemble of stellar actors playing kooky roles with weird-ass names, and against that jumbled backdrop, his Stetson-wearing presence doesn’t resonate with this actor’s usual gravity. To me, Fargo Season 4 is where the understated performances — like that of Chris Rock as a crime boss — are the ones that stand out. Having Olyphant around is a fine bonus, of course.
Now we’re cooking. What an absolute treat “The Marshal” episode turned out to be because it gave us Space Raylan. Will we see Cobb Vanth again? It doesn’t seem likely, but we still got to witness Olyphant nerding out and looking cool at the same time in a Star Wars gig. Not even that restrictive armor could keep his personality and sardonic wit from shining through. And he did so in a role that tweaked Star Wars canon and helped to put Boba Fett back in the equation. Who would have thought that was possible? Furthermore, Jon Favreau knew who to call when he needed a Marshal-type.
Sure, Cobb is a bit of an a-hole by Star Wars standards, but so was Han Solo, and both characters remain likable. And it was a blast to watch Olyphant do his part while defeating a Krayt Dragon in a truly thrilling action scene that felt Dune-esque (for the Sarlaac-turned-sandworm factor). For a moment, I even forgot all about Pedro Pascal over there with all that Mando armor. No wonder they haven’t brought Cobb back into the fold. His powerful screen presence could even make Baby Yoda cease to matter.
C*cksuckers, unite for this one. David Milch’s masterfully profane HBO western still holds up, throughout the three TV seasons (that managed to include a fine episode about… kidney stones? yes) and one reunion movie full of Shakespearean dialogue and catching up with beloved figures. It’s a testament to Olyphant’s own indispensable performance (and his confidence in the role) that he was sure glad that he wasn’t the “a-hole” to turn down a return to the magic. So, we got a revisiting of the breakout part that make him well-known for wearing a hat on the wild frontier.
From the first-season episode of Seth Bullock falling to his knees while witnessing the death of Wild Bill Hickok to Bullock’s balance of contempt-respect for his frenemy, Al Swearengen, Olyphant excelled at the upholding of honor and the settling of scores. The particular gathering of ensemble personalities here, as well, did not distract from Bullock as the central beacon of the show. As Deadwood’s appointed sheriff (who thought he’d left those days behind), Bullock frequently seethed with thinly-cloaked rage after picking up the badge again. Yet Olyphant almost seems addicted to law enforcement roles, and even in 2023, he’s still enjoying taking those rides.
Raylan Givens: the role that Timothy Olyphant was born to play. Elmore Leonard, who created the character, raved about how the show’s spin on his stories (and the leading man) blew him away. That Stetson hat, too, got tweaked as an Olyphant entry, upgraded from a “Dallas Businessman’s Special” in Leonard’s prose. And the headgear of the TV show turned out to be instrumental: you could always tell when Raylan went undercover because he’d go hatless. It was funny and fitting and fed into the mythical character who left a corrupt dentist (in the aforementioned “Long In The Tooth” episode) gasping to see his hero-nemesis coming to arrest him.
Olyphant infused Raylan with all the swagger that was fit to bloody the nose of Appalachia. It’s telling, too, how Raylan’s extralegal ways (and fried-chicken-temptation antics) managed to age well, even in a time when many are circling back to point fingers at cop shows. Yet Raylan never wielded his power against anyone who didn’t have it coming. Basically, he took down Nazis and those who refused to pick on people their own size. And even though he felt compelled to honor his dynamic with Boyd Crowder by paying the guy an in-person visit in the series finale, Raylan’s moral code never strayed from what was inherently good. Don’t tell him that, though. Like Olyphant, Raylan’s chaos-filled manner of self-deprecation remains the stuff of legends.
Five More, Semi-Forgotten Olyphant Roles Worth Revisiting
(In no particular order)
Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)
Netflix
Netflix’s unfortunate habit of canceling ridiculously good series after three seasons has never been better illustrated than with this glorious little zombie sitcom co-starring Drew Barrymore. The comedic timing of this duo could not have been more delightful, and I lived for those moments when Joel McHale showed up as a bitchy realtor and Nathan Fillion’s disembodied head waxed rhapsodic in the basement. This was just an all-around fun little kooky show, and the fact that it got axed on a cliffhanger (we were deprived of flesh-eating Olyphant, y’all) makes this one hurt even more.
Olyphant’s reaction seemed fitting, too. In a statement, he insisted, “I loved working on this show. I’m going to continue coming in and doing scenes. If they don’t want to film it, that’s up to them.” Let’s hope that he decided to take Mr. Ball Legs home and keep that dream alive. If we can see Deadwood and Justified revivals, after all, anything is possible. Get on it, Netflix.
Villainous Olyphant is not the most uncommon species. You can also see him visit the dark side in Scream 2 and Live Free And Die Hard, although I don’t find those to be the most riveting examples of his bad-boy incarnation. In Go, however, we get to see a darker Olyphant variant that was, to a degree, also spotted in The Girl Next Door, but that particular film skeeves me out because I don’t appreciate the “Perv Raylan” vibe. Whereas Go gives us a scuzzed-out Olyphant wielding sideburns and a Santa hat (always with the hats, man) that run counter to his initially intimidating vibes as a drug dealer.
Looking back, it’s a performance that perfectly mirrors his audition story (as told to GQ) of pretending that he’d never read the lines or cared about the role, when “I had fully prepared for that, and pretended like I hadn’t,” he says. He added, “I hope young actors starting out are paying attention. It’s all fair. Work really f*cking hard, and then act like you didn’t.” Now for a real bonus: go rewatch that diner scene between Olyphant and Katie Holmes and the goon-filled aftermath to remember how underrated this film remains to this day. My god, what an oddly charming discussion about The Family Circus.
This is a total B-movie, so place your expectations accordingly. We do, however, not only get Olyphant in a terrible hat (which he still pulls off) but also as one-half of three couples who drop red herrings like mad in Hawaii while rumors of tourist-killers circulate. One of these couples is probably out to murder everyone, and at one point, we receive a sinister Olyphant chuckle that is worth the price of admission. I’ve given that chuckle and sneer too much thought over the years, mostly because it has layers that this movie frankly doesn’t deserve, but you can never accuse Olyphant of not rising beyond the occasion, even if it feels like he just sauntered in like it’s no big thing. Also on the table: Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich as one of the oddest couples that you’ll ever witness. The big reveal at the end is astoundingly insulting, but the ride is worth it for this atypical Olyphant flick.
Speaking of curiosities, here’s Olyphant in rarified form as a straightforward romcom hero. Granted, this film is super predictable, as many romcoms are, and you can see from a galaxy away that Jennifer Garner’s grieving character, Gray, will fall for her fiancée’s buddy, Olyphant’s Fritz. As well, Kevin Smith once did an interview (which I can no longer find since it was so many years ago) in which he discussed having a not-so-great experience on the set of this film as an actor. He and Olyphant weren’t exactly pals on the set, if I recall correctly (but Smith sure did change his tune after he saw Space Raylan), yet a certain kissing scene and the sight of Olyphant playing fetch with a dog could soften even the most aromantic person’s heart.
It’s Olyphant at his most revolting (you have no idea how much it pained me to type those words) and as the total opposite of a romcom king. He guest-starred in a fourth-season episode, “Valley of the Twenty-Something Guys,” as a fleeting lust interest of Carrie Bradshaw. And sure, he looked good at night and during the morning hours, but the harsh glow of daylight was too much for Carrie, given that Olydude lived in absolute sloth and used the last of the toilet paper as a coffee filter. The “worth it” part, though, was Olydude rambling about a weird dream, in which he had “hands… big hands!”
I’m so happy to have Justified: City Primeval as an upcoming palate cleanser.
Either Kayleigh McEnany is good at turning the other cheek, or politics has turned her brain to mush. It’s hard to say, really.
Earlier this week, the former White House press secretary and current Fox News host appeared on Jesse Watters Primetime, where she reported that Donald Trump is leading Ron DeSantis by “only” 25 points. Trump raged on Truth Social that, actually, “I am 34 points up on DeSanctimonious, not 25 up.” He also called McEnany “Milktoast,” which is definitely what he meant.
Instead of firing an insult back at Trump (not that there’s anything to insult), McEnany continued to praise her old boss. “He’s very good at that,” she said about Trump’s ability to connect with his followers on Fox News on Thursday. “In fact, I don’t know if there is anyone in the race that can do it quite like him with a room with voters.” But Ron DeSantis is so charismatic!
McEnany continued, “I was in Maine with him, I’ll never forget him talking to fishermen. They thanked him multiple times, Trump voters who had tears in their eyes who said, ‘These four years have meant this to me.’ They got to express that gratitude.” She added, “If he can stick to policy and have that charm, it’s going to be hard to close that 30-point gap.” Expect a Trump Truth Social post about how the gap isn’t 30, it’s 55 or whatever, in 3… 2… 1…
lmao Kayleigh McEnany is still groveling for Trump even after he tossed her under the bus pic.twitter.com/IjzK1ebFg1
Are you tired of hearing conservatives constantly complain about things being “woke?” Well, surprise! So is Donald Trump. During a campaign stop in Iowa, the former president shared his candid thoughts on people constantly using the term to get mad at companies like Bud Light, or more recently, Chick-fil-A.
“I don’t like the term ‘woke,’” Trump said. “Because I hear the term ‘woke woke woke’ — it’s just a term they use, half the people can’t define it, they don’t know what it is.”
During a campaign event in Iowa, Trump complains that “half the people” who use the term “woke” can’t define it — and then says that if he got Lebron James and 4 other NBA players to identify as women that would be “woke” pic.twitter.com/VsM1SXm31O
But lest anyone think Trump himself is woke, far from it. After complaining about how his followers are too caught up over what is or isn’t woke, Raw Story reports that the former president then floated his diabolical plan to absolutely dominate the field of woman’s basketball if anyone was ever crazy enough to let Trump coach a team.
“I’d say ‘Lebron [James], would you like to become a woman?’ And I would go to another four or five guys and say we will be undefeated for many, many years,’” Trump proudly boasted. “I will go down as the greatest coach in history.”
That plan is definitely not woke, but just to prove that Trump has no idea what the term means either, he then rambled that it’s actually very woke. The wokest thing you’ve ever seen.
“It is so crazy — and that is all woke,” Trump said of his basketball scheme. “I guess they define that as woke, but that’s all woke.”
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