Entertainment
How The Most Beloved ‘80s Cartoon Destroyed Millennials And Made Them Consumer Slaves
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
When 1986’s Transformers: The Movie came out, this animated masterpiece did the last thing its young fans expected by killing off Optimus Prime. This tough-but-tender truck man was more than the leader of the Autobots: he was a pseudo-father to them and, by extension, to the audience. The filmmakers killed Prime off as a blunt way to demonstrate that this movie was playing for keeps, especially compared to the cartoon. Of course, there was an ulterior motive at play here. By killing off Optimus Prime and many other characters, the film could introduce new characters whose toys the young audience would implore their parents to buy after the credits rolled.
As those Transformers fans got older, many of them joked about how the animated film effectively killed their childhood by bumping off someone as cool and memorable as Prime. However, the movie’s goal of selling more toys had a far more insidious effect that none of us ‘80s kids could actually predict. You see, this movie was ground zero for the explosion of nostalgia that has dominated every Millennial’s life for the last two decades. Transformers: The Movie effectively taught us the worst possible lesson: that we should never put away our toys, and that we’re just one more throwback purchase away from reclaiming the happiness of our childhood.
Welcome To Prime Time
Transformers: The Movie has a pretty relentless pace. After a bit of world-building (including the introduction of the Galactus-like Big Bad, Unicron), we see the Decepticons take over an Autobot ship, horrifically killing everyone onboard. They use this to launch a daring raid on Autobot City, and it soon looks like the bad guys are going to win the day. That changes when Optimus Prime launches a one-man counter-assault that ends with a duel against Megatron, the ruthless Decepticon leader. Prime wins the battle with one final blow, but he has sustained too much damage and later succumbs to his injuries.
In some ways, that makes things worse. Optimus Prime doesn’t get a quick death like other ‘bots, including Starscream. Instead, we watch him slowly and excruciatingly die in the Autobot equivalent of a hospital room. He flatlines, and all hope is lost. We literaly see the light leave his eyes. As if that’s not bad enough, his entire body turns gray, emphasizing the horrific transformation we just watched. This is no longer the strong, vibrant hero of a mighty army. He’s now just a collection of spare parts. Looking back, older Transformers fans consider this the moment their childhood died, which is ironic. After all, this franchise is why our childhood never ended.
The Real Neverending Story
While Transformers has successfully reinvented itself for later generations (just take a look at the toy aisle if you don’t believe me), the original cartoon and movie were squarely aimed at a young, Millennial audience. As this audience grew up, nostalgia became a core part of our identity. There are several theories about why this is. Some think Millennials, as the last pre-internet generation, long for the days before everything went digital. Revisiting the shows, films, and the toys of that era is an attempt to recapture the magic and innocence of our childhood.
Unfortunately, Millennials never really learned to put the toys away. Hollywood is well aware of this collective nostalgia fixation and constantly floods the big screen with endless prequels, sequels, and reboots. After all, why try something new when most of your core audience is longing for something old? This is how we inexplicably got a third trilogy of Star Wars movies focused on Skywalker family drama. Even when we get a nominally new IP like Stranger Things, it has to be soaked in enough ‘80s nostalgia that it tickles the same part of our brains that still likes playing with vintage toys.
Nostalgia Pill: Transform, And Roll Out!
Now, why am I blaming so much of this depressing phenomenon on Transformers: The Movie? In an attempt to sell toys based on new characters, the filmmakers taught the child audience the worst possible lesson: when an old toy dies, just replace it with a new one. Is Optimus Prime dead? No problem, Ultra Magnus has the Matrix of Leadership now. Wait, they just pulled Magnus apart? No worries, Hot Rod is about to get an upgrade (be sure to buy both figures!). By the time my generation grew older, there was never a thought about putting away childish things because constant consumption of nostalgia slop became our corporate-friendly raison d’etre.
Speaking of which, companies constantly fill store shelves with toys that we scoop up, hoping that we’ll eventually have enough plastic crap to fill that void deep inside us. These tchotchkes are a way of microdosing nostalgia; an attempt to recapture the joy we felt at getting a new Transformer growing up. We never really attain that level of joy, which is part of a very specific tragedy. Namely, that Millennials, often referred to as the “bridge” generation, are stuck between two very different eras. Not fully online, yet unable to put the digital cat back in the bag, the best we can do is swim towards the receding shore of the past, one rerun at a time.
One Shall Rent, One Shall Fall
Sadly, endlessly watching the Autobots and Decepticons fighting each other won’t teach us to transform into our childhood selves. Just as you can’t go home again, you can never truly return to the past. All you can do is look at fragments of it, hoping to catch a reflection of yourself from the last time you were truly happy. But fragments of happiness are better than no happiness at all, so we continue to pursue our inner peace, one rerun at a time. Sadly, Transformers: The Movie isn’t available to stream, but you can rent it on a platform whose name Optimus would approve of: Prime Video.
While you’re on Amazon, be sure to order a new toy. Don’t worry; I’m sure this will be the one that finally makes everything better!
Entertainment
The Best New Show Of The Year Is A Supernatural Comedy Horror On AppleTV
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
The 2026 television season has been a little lackluster so far when it comes to original, new series. The Boroughs was a fun binge on Netflix, Margo’s Got Money Troubles was a good comedy, but nothing can compare to the surprising success of Widow’s Bay on AppleTV. It’s a horror comedy, which might be the hardest combination of genres to pull off, that plays out like Twin Peaks meets Parks and Recreation. No show will leave you laughing so hard in one episode, before traumatizing you in the next.
Widow’s Bay Is The Most Original Show In Years
That odd mix of shows makes sense since Widow’s Bay was created by Katie Dippold, a writer for Parks and Recreation. The series takes place in the island town of Widow’s Bay in New England when Mayor Tom (Matthew Rhys) decides to boost tourism to the small community. The catch is that the community, primarily Wyck (Stephen Root) believes the island is cursed.
It’s not a spoiler to say that yes, yes it is cursed, and yes, there are real horrors at work on the island. That’s not surprising. What is surprising is the dry humor and Matthew Rhys’ perfect facial expressions, as the town’s residents will deliver the most absurd lines with a perfectly straight face. If you vibed with the humor of Parks and Recreation, you know what you’re getting into with the odd residents of Widow’s Bay, especially Kate O’Flynn as Tom’s assistant, Patricia. There’s a sequence with her involving a shotgun that is destined to be a social media hit for years to come, and one of those moments that you’ll think, “I’d do the same thing.”
Slapstick Comedy, Horror, And Amazing Sight Gags
Before starting your binge of the first season, avoid as many spoilers as you can. Widow’s Bay sets up mysteries early on with the chained church bell, the strange basement room, a rolling fogbank, and, while it’s not a supernatural mystery, how many Diet Cokes can Town Hall employee Dale consume? His desk is filled to the brim with cans. That can’t be healthy.
Keep your eyes peeled while watching Widow’s Bay as the production team was heavily influenced by The Simpsons usage of sight gags. Some are called out with blatant shots, others exist in the background of a conversation, but put together, they make the town of Widow’s Bay an absurdist version of Twin Peaks.
No one had supernatural slapstick down on their 2026 Bingo card, but here we are. While Netflix pulled the plug on The Boroughs, Widow’s Bay has already been confirmed for a second season, which is good considering the stakes-raising season finale ends by revealing a whole new layer to the mystery of the island. We have a long wait until Season 2 premieres, giving you plenty of time to watch the show of the Summer, and you can still convince your friends you were a fan of Widow’s Bay before it was cool. ]
Widow’s Bay Season 1 is now streaming on AppleTV.
Entertainment
Don’t pay $199 for Windows 11 Pro when it’s currently just $13
TL;DR: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is down to just $12.97, giving users an easy OS upgrade with advanced security, productivity tools, gaming features, and Copilot AI.
Some upgrades just feel right. This is one of them.
If your PC has been running a little sluggish or you’ve been meaning to bring your system up to speed, Windows 11 Pro is just $12.97 (reg. $199) — a rare, time-sensitive offer that rewards quick, savvy decisions.
Mashable Deals
This isn’t about chasing trends; it’s more about giving your computer the modern foundation it deserves. Windows 11 Pro brings a sleeker UI, better multitasking, and enhanced security — all in a one-time lifetime license.
Think of it as the difference between driving a reliable car and suddenly upgrading to one with a smarter dashboard, smoother handling, and built-in security features.
For professionals, creators, and power users, this upgrade also unlocks features like Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, BitLocker encryption, and seamless Azure AD integration — tools that make a real difference when you’re working across projects or managing sensitive data.
And yes, Windows 11 comes with Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant that can summarize pages, change settings, or even help you generate code on the fly. It’s like having a co-pilot (literally) inside your OS.
Mashable Deals
But you don’t need convincing — you already know a smart upgrade when you see one. Get Windows 11 Pro for just $12.97 (reg. $199).
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Gene Roddenberry Secretly Fixed Star Trek’s Earliest Plot Hole
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Star Trek is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Part of why that is so impressive is that this franchise has managed to maintain the same continuity for so many years. Sure, the Kelvinverse rebooted everything for a few movies, and we occasionally get glimpses of alternate universes with their own twisted history. But the main Trek timeline, from The Original Series through Starfleet Academy, has remained the same, which is an amazing creative achievement. But it also leads to something as annoying as it is inevitable: plot holes!
There are many seeming plot holes throughout the franchise. Heck, Starfleet Academy introduced more than its fair share in only one season. However, the earliest plothole goes back to William Shatner’s very first episode, “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” This episode features a mock grave for James Tiberius Kirk that reads “James R. Kirk.” This weird screwup inspired decades of attempts by fans and creators to explain what happened. However, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry had a simple explanation from the very beginning. That is, the godlike character who created the tombstone was still fallible, meaning that this would be an in-universe screwup rather than a production error.
A Ghoulish Plot Hole
“Where No Man Has Gone Before” was actually the second pilot episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. It’s the episode that sold NBC on this new show, which isn’t surprising, because this is a great hour of television. Strange energy from the galactic barrier gives one of Captain Kirk’s best friends, Gary Mitchell, godlike powers. Those powers are getting stronger by the minute, so Kirk eventually has to make the difficult decision to kill his buddy in the name of keeping the entire ship (and quite possibly the entire galaxy) safe.
At one point, Mitchell uses his powers to summon a tombstone that reads “James R. Kirk.” It makes for a great threat, but there’s just one problem: the character’s name is James Tiberius Kirk. Incidentally, Gene Roddenberry seemingly knew Kirk’s middle name early on, even though it wasn’t officially revealed (outside of The Animated Series) until The Undiscovered Country. In the introduction to Star Trek: The Classic Episodes 1, Original Series writer D.C. Fontana claimed that once Roddenberry noticed the mistake, he came up with a quick and easy explanation. “Gary Mitchell had godlike powers, but at base he was human. He made a mistake.”
Powers Like A God, Mind Like A Human
Unfortunately, Roddenberry kept this plot hole explanation to himself. I say “unfortunately” because this mistake sent fans into a tizzy trying to explain the discrepancy. On top of that, various Star Trek writers tried their hands at providing explanations. One such explanation came from Michael Jan Friedman’s non-canonical My Brother’s Keeper series. In these books, when the future captain meets Gary Mitchell, he claims his middle name is “Racquetball.” Later, when Kirk steamrolls through a discussion, Mitchell says the man’s middle name should be “Rhinoceros.” Therefore, Friedman explained that the “James R. Kirk” on the tombstone is just an in-joke between former friends.
Additionally, the late, great Star Trek writer Peter David tried his hand at an explanation. In his novel Q-Squared, the events of “Where No Man Has Gone Before” take place in a parallel reality in which Kirk’s middle initial really is “R.” In this non-canonical book, we also find out that Mitchell’s powers came from briefly being possessed by Q, who had to pull himself together across all of time and space. Quick side note: while Marvel has really played out the concept of multiverses, Q-Squared is an amazing novel, and every Trek fan should read it at least once.
These writers did their best to explain where “James R. Kirk” came from. On top of this, fans have constantly debated this issue, all trying to one-up each other in coming up with a suitable explanation for this plothole. As it turns out, though, none of this debating and speculating was necessary because Gene Roddenberry had the perfect explanation ready. Namely, that having the power of a god isn’t the same as having the unlimited knowledge of a god. It’s short, it’s simple, and it’s effective. Most of all, it does what Star Trek has always done best: keep the sci-fi storytelling centered around humanity.
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