Entertainment
X-Men ‘97 Homaged The Most Popular Star Trek Show And Nobody Noticed
By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated
X-Men ‘97 remains the best Marvel show ever made, and Season 2 has managed to maintain the show’s impossibly high standard of quality. There are many ingredients to this cartoon’s success, including jaw-dropping animation and writing that perfectly weaves together over half a century of tangled lore. Bringing everything together is a killer voice cast that brings all of these colorful characters to life. In addition to the regular cast (all of whom are pitch-perfect), the show has also brought in consistently great voice actors. This includes Obsession’s Michael Johnston as the voice of young Apocalypse.
When Apocalypse (then going by En Sabah Nur) was just a boy, he and his people were enslaved by Rama-Tut. The most recent episode of X-Men ‘97 (“The Rise of Apocalypse, Part II”) was a big one for Rama-Tut, confirming that he is secretly Kang, a time-traveling tyrant who threatens the past, present, and future. The episode also had a scene where this villain had a heart-to-heart with Charles Xavier. It’s a great scene, but what most fans don’t realize is that it was also a secret Star Trek homage. You see, Rama-Tut is voiced by Trek villain John de Lancie, and he verbally spars with a character once played by Patrick Stewart!
Playing A Godlike Cosmic Villain (Again)
In the fourth episode of X-Men ‘97 Season 2, the team members stuck in the past are playing a dangerous game with the future. At Magneto’s insistence, they are trying to instill Xavier’s values in the young Apocalypse, hoping that he won’t grow up to be such a dangerous tyrant. Unfortunately, they just push the mutant into embracing evil, which is made easier when he discovers Ship, a spaceship of unimaginable power. With it, he attacks Rama-Tut and his people. However, Rama-Tut makes his escape, but not before having a psychic discussion with Xavier about Apocalypse.
During the discussion, Rama-Tut proposes a devil’s bargain, asking for Xavier’s help getting into a Celestial temple so that he can stop Apocalypse. Xavier resists, both because he supports reforming Apocalypse and is rightfully hesitant to give the villain so much raw power. Eventually, the argument is rendered moot: Apocalypse breaks bad and gains access to the temple, which is actually the aforementioned spaceship. Moot or not, though, their conversation is fascinating for fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Why is that? Simple: it’s basically a bonus argument between the cosmic villain, Q, and his longtime nemesis, Jean-Luc Picard!
The Trial Never Ended, Jean-Luc
In Star Trek: The Next Generation, John de Lancie voiced Q, a villain with godlike powers who becomes fixated on Patrick Stewart’s Captain Picard. Notably, X-Men ‘97 has de Lancie voicing Rama-Tut, which is already pretty funny. After all, this time-hopping villain is pretty godlike himself, especially to the residents of Ancient Egypt. While he doesn’t voice the mutant leader in the show, Stewart notably plays Charles Xavier in the live-action X-Men films. Because of this, it’s basically impossible to watch Xavier and Rama-Tut bicker in X-Men ‘97 without remembering the many, many spirited fights between Q and Picard.
One reason for this is that, in-between supervillain speechifying, Rama-Tut finds the time to fire off sarcastic, Q-like retorts. When Xavier accuses the villain of wanting the technology of the Celestial temple for himself, Rama-Tut replies, “A+, Charles! I see the mind of the professor lives up to the legend.” In Trek, Q was a lot like this version of Rama-Tut, oscillating between deadly seriousness and hilarious snark. We get another glimpse of the sarcasm when he retreats from this time period, telling his second-in-command that Apocalypse could only be defeated by “something eXternal.” When she asks what he means, he laughs that “only time will tell” as he puffs off to the future.
Rama-Tut doesn’t take up much screen time in X-Men ‘97. In fact, Kang (who reveals himself right before leaving) gets out of this hit series much, much quicker than Jonathan Majors’ Kang left the MCU. Realistically, we likely won’t hear John de Lancie on this show for a long time, if ever. However, fans will always be able to cherish “The Rise of Apocalypse, Part II” for giving us one last spat between Q and Jean-Luc Picard. That makes this the second best X-Men/Star Trek crossover, right behind Planet X. Trust me: when Q asked Worf if he’d eaten any good books lately, the Klingon was never in danger of naming that piece of targ sh*t!
Entertainment
Stargate Stars and Fans Over 100,000 Strong In Petition To Save Reboot
By Jennifer Asencio
| Updated
For one brief moment, it looked like fans were going to get a beloved show rebooted into something new, but it was not meant to be. Amazon Studios cancelled their planned revival of Stargate, which devastated the cast, crew, and fans in equal measure. It was going to be helmed by veteran Stargate writer Martin Gero. The other executive producers included those who had a direct hand in the creation of the original movie, Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis. Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin co-wrote the movie, and Emmerich directed it.
Brad Wright and Joe Mallozzi, who have long been associated with the Stargate franchise, were also brought on board, along with Joey Harold and Tory Tunnell. This revival with this creative team behind it had the power to bring Stargate back to the present time. And that is where the show ran into the snag that ultimately led to it being cancelled by Amazon Studios.
Gero and others involved, including actors like SG-1 star Michael Shanks and sci-fi staple Robert Patrick, urged fans to push back against this decision by Amazon Studios. Creators and actors were so invested in the quality of their content that they were willing to speak out so publicly. Fans rallied behind the actors, and soon #SaveStargate gained momentum on social media. There was a Change.org petition that gained over 113,000 signatures as of this writing. Fans created websites dedicated to saving Stargate. That is how deeply fans feel about the Stargate franchise.
A Flawed Reboot Logic
The reason that Amazon Studios gave for canceling the reboot is that they felt the show would appeal only to the original fans and not to a broader “modern audience.” We really need to just move beyond that descriptor. The modern audience doesn’t watch science fiction; they just demand that everyone else hold their worldview and have diversity and messaging that so deeply twists the story it wouldn’t be what fans wanted anyway.
Many other revivals that were cancelled or died after the first season often saw the cast and crew blaming fans for not tuning in to their show. We’ve since watched Sabrina and a rebooted Charmed come and go with characters that remind us nothing of what we used to love about the original series. We are given lectures on what the message should be. You can no longer really watch any sort of programming without the “modern agenda” being forced into it, bludgeoned with such force that it resembles nothing about the original, but checks corporate boxes on gratuitously inclusive metrics. That is all the studios seem to care about, even if it costs them billions of dollars.
That is the thing that Amazon did not fully understand or want to understand. Maybe the revival didn’t check enough of their corporate boxes for them to avoid backlash from a vocal minority that demands these companies bend the knee.
Here it is, though: if the quality of the show and the storytelling is good, you will bring in fans. With Gero and the others at the helm, the original fans would’ve flocked to Stargate. Word of mouth of how great it was would spread. Those fans would want to share it with their friends and family. That brings in more viewers and more of those metrics a company looks at. SG-1 ran for a decade. Atlantis lasted five seasons, and Universe lasted only two before it was cancelled with many plots unresolved. They later released a comic book to help tie up some of those loose ends.
When done properly, Stargate has staying power with fans who wanted to watch programs that had great storytelling and emotional weight. It was axed because it did not appeal to the modern audience. That is not to say that Amazon Studios is done with Stargate; they are just not moving forward with the production helmed by Gero and the others. We will see if this bold strategy pays off for them, or if their future revival fails to generate traction with the modern audience, as we’ve seen many times already.
Entertainment
National French Fries Day 2026 deals: Score free fries from McDonalds, Five Guys, Sheetz, Chick-Fil-A, and more
If you’re not eating free fries this week, you’re doing life wrong. Just kidding (kind of).
Friday, July 10, is National French Fry Day, which means a bunch of your favorite fast food chains are giving away free fries. While some require a minimum purchase of some kind or a (free) rewards membership, others require nothing but your will to face the crowds at a local establishment. Regardless, this is a made up holiday I, for one, can get behind.
If you’re curious which fast food chains are participating in the free fry celebration, we have a running list below. Just be sure to check the details before rushing out to the restaurant of your choice.
Arby’s
Arby’s Rewards members can get a free fry of any size on July 10 with the purchase of a Cheesesteak online or in app.
Checkers & Rally’s
Celebrate National French Fry Day at Checkers & Rally’s from July 10 through 12 with BOGO free Famous Seasoned Fries of any size and $1 sauce trios.
Chick-Fil-A
From July 7 through 13, Chick-Fil-A is giving out free medium-size Waffle Fries as a reward in the restaurant’s app. Just play the in-app “Spot the Cow” game to get the deal. It’s limited to one fry reward per person.
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Del Taco
July 10 through 13, you can score a free regular fry at Del Taco with with a $3 minimum purchase.
Five Guys
From July 8 through 10, customers who buy a burger, hot dog, or sandwich through the Five Guys app or Five Guys.com will get one free Little Fry. Sign in or create a Five Guys account and enter promo code FRYDAY26 at checkout to get the freebie.
Jack in the Box
Sign up to be a Jack Pack Rewards member if you’re not already and you’ll be able to grab a free fry of any size on July 10 with a minimum purchase of $1.
McDonald’s
On July 10th, National French Fry Day proper, McDonald’s is giving out free medium-sized French Fries to Rewards members. Just make a purchase of at least $1 through the McDonald’s app to get the deal.
Sheetz
From July 10 through 16, Sheetz is giving away one free bag of fries with any purchase of $10 or more through the Sheetz app (under the OFFERZ tab). The freebie is limited to one per My Sheetz Rewardz member.
Wendy’s
Are you a Wendy’s Rewards member? Head to the app and make a purchase of at least $5 and you’ll get a free fry in any size on National French Fry Day, July 10.
Whataburger
Whataburger rewards members can score a free medium fry with no purchase required on July 10. The offer is valid online or in the app.
White Castle
Head to White Castle on July 10 and pick up free Cheese Fries by using the promo code CHEESY when you place an online or in-app order.
Entertainment
How to watch Japan vs. Ireland in the 2026 Nations Championship online for free
TL;DR: Watch Japan vs. Ireland in the 2026 Nations Championship for free on ITVX. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
It’s week two of the 2026 Nations Championship, and we’re getting another stack of northern vs. southern hemisphere fixtures.
Both Japan and Ireland scored wins last week and will enter this weekend’s contest with some momentum. Japan scored the bigger win last week, beating Italy 27-10, but arguably had easier competition. Ireland finished with a two-point lead over the formidable Australia. But which team will keep the momentum going?
If you’re interested in watching the 2026 Nations Championship from anywhere in the world, we’ve got all the information you need.
When is Japan vs. Ireland?
Japan vs. Ireland in the 2026 Nations Championship kicks off at 11:10 a.m. BST on July 11. This fixture takes place at the McDonald Jones Stadium, Australia.
How to watch Japan vs. Ireland for free
Japan vs. Ireland in the 2026 Nations Championship is available to live stream for free on ITVX.
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ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can livestream the 2026 Nations Championship for free from anywhere in the world.
Livestream Japan vs. Ireland in the 2026 Nations Championship for free by following these simple steps:
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Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
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Download the app to your device of choice
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Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
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Visit ITVX
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Watch Japan vs. Ireland for free from anywhere in the world
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch the 2026 Nations Championship without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream multiple weekends before recovering your investment.
ExpressVPN’s regular 30-day money-back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the FIFA World Cup between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate until that offer comes back into play. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.
What is the best VPN for ITVX?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:
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Servers in 105 countries
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Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
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Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
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Fast connection speeds free from throttling
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Up to 10 simultaneous connections
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30-day money-back guarantee (after FIFA World Cup)
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.
Live stream the 2026 Nations Championship for free with ExpressVPN.
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