Entertainment
Mainstream Critics Have Finally Launched Their Biased Attacks On The Pendragon Cycle
By Jennifer Asencio
| Published
Now that Daily Wire’s The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin has been fully released, finally, someone besides me and a few other small outlets has paid attention to it. At least, a little. The men’s magazine Esquire decided to run a piece about the show, and they had nothing nice to say.
Its title, “There’s a Right-Wing Game of Thrones and It’s as Terrible as You’d Think,” already displays the bias the writer, Josh Rosenberg, took into this “review” with him. By putting “right-ring” in the title, he’s telling you he’s not happy it’s produced by Daily Wire.
Josh Rosenberg Hasn’t Watched A Lot Of The Show He’s Reviewing
Things get worse from there. In his review, Rosenberg judges the streaming service’s content based on its news branch and on a single movie, Ladyballers, a controversial comedy about gender-ideology abuse in sports. Never mind that the streamer has other movies, some of which I’ve reviewed for this site, including Run Hide Fight, starring Isabel May of Scream 7.
Guilt by Association (noun): A rhetorical tactic that attempts to discredit a person, work, or idea by linking it to another person, work, or group viewed negatively, using the connection itself as implied evidence of similar faults.
However, when Rosenberg turns his attention to the show itself, it’s pretty clear he hasn’t seen beyond an episode or two. Everything he singles out for critique is largely from Episode 1: Charis’s bull-leaping and Taliesin’s “come-to-Jesus” moment are mentioned, but nothing of the fantastic battles from episodes 3 or 4, nothing of the high drama of episode 5, or the tragic love story of episode 6. He criticizes the budget without even mentioning the large-scale warfare of episode 7 and its cast of apparent thousands. It seems likely that, as modern critics often don’t, Rosenberg didn’t actually watch the entire show he was “reviewing.”
Misrepresenting The Role Of Christianity In The Pendragon Cycle
He also attacks The Pendragon Cycle for its religious themes. One of the things I have praised about the show is that, while the first two episodes are a little preachy, the show overall has been extremely fair to other religions despite the theme surrounding “Yesu” being “the One True God.” It never openly disparages the other gods that appear in the show. It never presents Christianity as something you should believe in, and it is even sparing in portraying the faith of characters who do believe in it: a prayer here, a priest there.
Straw Man (noun): A persuasion tactic in which someone misrepresents or distorts the content of an argument, idea, or work so that the altered version is easier to attack or discredit than the original.
Jeremy Boreing did claim at first that The Pendragon Cycle was “probably the most Christian piece of entertainment since Braveheart,” and quite frankly, it’s about even between the two, so that’s a fair comparison. To imply it is “Christian” on the same level as, say, Left Behind, is a gross misrepresentation of the King Arthur epic.
Just Follow The Crowd
His next mode of attack is to compare the show to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the HBO Game of Thrones spinoff that has been a media darling since it was released. This mode of attack criticizes the number of viewers the show might have had, compared to the HBO series’ 13 million viewers.
Bandwagon Appeal (noun): A persuasion tactic in which a claim is presented as true, superior, or justified primarily because it is widely believed, supported, or followed by a large number of people.
It’s true The Pendragon Cycle probably had a smaller audience, an issue I have discussed myself, but the limited audience is not proof that the show is “bad,” it just means it isn’t accessible to a lot of people. I’ve said before that more exposure would open the show to a wider audience who would probably enjoy it.
Everything I Haven’t Tried Is Terrible
His final criticism is the most disingenuous sideswipe: that no reviewers have even glanced at the show, so it has no score on Rotten Tomatoes. This is especially underhanded in the wake of the Scream 7 review-bombing fest that critics have had about the slasher film; angry about Melissa Barrera’s firing, they panned the movie out of hand, even though audiences loved it and it broke franchise box office records.
Appeal to Ignorance (noun): A persuasive claim that treats the absence of evidence, information, or evaluation as proof of a conclusion. Instead of demonstrating that something is false, bad, or ineffective, the argument relies on the fact that it has not been proven otherwise or has not yet been examined.
The Pendragon Cycle has been suffering from the same treatment but is easier to ignore than Scream 7 or even the First Lady biopic Melania due to its lack of visibility. But, once again, a lack of reviews isn’t the same thing as being a bad show, and if Esquire and the Scream 7 kerfuffle are any indication, mainstream reviewers would probably pan it anyway just because it’s Daily Wire.
I Was Wary, But I Actually Watched The Entire Show
The Pendragon Cycle is a really good show being maligned by Esquire and ignored by everyone else for reasons that have nothing to do with its quality or its content. I can say this without bias, because all the same objections raised by the men’s magazine are the reasons I was wary of the show, but I like King Arthur content enough to have set aside those prejudices and watched every episode.
Whatever it is that mainstream critics think The Pendragon Cycle is, they’re sorely mistaken and drunk on their own biases. To top it off, they’re trying to tell us that it’s so bad, we shouldn’t watch it. This is not criticism; it is social engineering by suppression. Maybe we need new critics.
The Pendragin Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is streaming in its entirety on Daily Wire+.
Entertainment
Tesla is developing a smaller, cheaper SUV, report says
Tesla is working on a new car, and it’s going to be exactly what many are hoping for: a smaller, cheaper electric SUV.
This is according to Reuters, which spoke with four people familiar with the matter. According to the report, the new car will be an entirely new model, and not a variant of the Model 3 or Model Y (Tesla recently discontinued its larger sedan and SUV, the Model S and the Model X).
The new Tesla SUV would be about 14 feet long, making it considerably shorter than the Model Y, which is 15.7 feet long. It would also be “substantially” cheaper than the Model 3, which is currently the most affordable Tesla you can get, starting at $37,000 in the U.S.
The new SUV, which Tesla plans to manufacture in China, might also be offered with a smaller battery and just a single motor instead of two (both the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y can come with either with one or two motors). This would make the car lighter than other Tesla models, but the smaller battery might also mean it’ll have less range than existing models.
Mashable Light Speed
There are no details on when Tesla plans to launch the new car, and the report says that the project is still in an “early development stage,” meaning it might not happen at all.
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The fact that Tesla is working on something isn’t a secret; just a few weeks ago the company CEO Elon Musk tweeted that Tesla is working on something “way cooler than a minivan.”
Figuring out exactly what Tesla’s exact plans are is another matter. The company is working on an autonomous vehicle called the Cybercab (or the Robovan; the name doesn’t seem to be set in stone yet). And Tesla was reportedly working on a cheaper model for years before scrapping it, seemingly in favor of offering cheaper variants of existing models.
Notably, when Reuters reported on Tesla giving up on launching a cheaper model in 2024, Musk tweeted that the news agency was “lying”. The fact is, the company never did launch a cheaper model; we’ll see if things turn out differently this time.
Entertainment
Home Depots Spring Black Friday sale is packed with free cordless tools — find the best BOGO deals on DeWalt, Ryobi, and Milwaukee
Table of Contents
The best Home Depot cordless tools deals at a glance:
Black Friday in April? Sure, why not. This year, Home Depot is celebrating the season by offering steep discounts on everything we need for spring yard work, getting those DIY projects underway, and preparing for outdoor summer fun. It’s a great time to save on plants, mulch, a new lawn mower, patio furniture, pizza ovens, barbecues, and even major home appliances like refrigerators.
But of course, Home Depot is always a go-to if you’re in need of fresh cordless tools. Whether you’ll use them for home or on the job site, shopping the Home Depot Spring Sale for deals is a smart move. We’re seeing nice BOGO offers from big hitters like DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Makita that’ll offer a free extra bonus with purchase. In addition to the BOGO deals, we have nice offers from Ryobi and Ridgid.
While the spring sale at Home Depot only started on April 9, we’re already seeing some BOGO deals that have sold out way ahead of the sale’s official end date of April 22. If this trend continues, it might be worth shopping soon to get the best selection. Here are some standout offers.
Best Milwaukee BOGO deal
free Milwaukee M18 18-Volt Lithium-Ion High Output Battery Pack with purchase
Why we like it
Milwaukee is one of the standout cordless tool brands, and they have deals abound during the Home Depot Spring Black Friday sale. One of the most attractive is snagging the Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18V Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Hammer Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit for $399 and getting the Milwaukee M18 18-Volt Lithium-Ion High Output Battery Pack 6.0Ah for free. That works out to a saving of $199.
Mashable Trend Report
Home Depot mentions the compact hammer drill is the most powerful in its class with the quickest driving speed. Milwaukee also added an auto-stop feature that eliminates over-rotation. Plus, the three LED lights that surround the bit and fastener are ideal for getting a clear view.
Best DeWalt BOGO deal
free DeWalt FlexVolt 20V/60V MAX Lithium-Ion 6.0Ah Battery Pack with purchase
Why we like it
This BOGO deal offers a serious value. Snag the DeWalt FlexVolt 60V MAX Cordless Brushless 7-1/4 inch Circular Saw for $299 from Home Depot and get the DeWalt FlexVolt 20V/60V MAX Lithium-Ion 6.0Ah Battery Pack with 6 Amp Output Charger for free, which ordinarily costs $249. That makes this one of the best BOGO values in the Home Depot spring sale.
The DeWalt FlexVolt family features over 180 tools with the Circular Saw offering 2,456 unit watts out. There’s an electric brake, integrated LED lights, and even rafter hooks for easy storage.
Best Ryobi deal
$369
at Home Depot
$529
Save $160
Why we like it
While this deal isn’t part of Home Depot’s BOGO offers, it’s still an excellent buy. The Ryobi One+ 18V Cordless 8-Tool Combo Kit is 30% off and serves as a great DIY combo kit for all sorts of home projects. There’s a driver/drill, impact driver, reciprocating saw, circular saw, multi-tool, and more. To keep things neat and organized, the Ryobi kit comes with two tool bags.
Entertainment
What is OnlyFans?
The creator platform OnlyFans has changed the adult industry since its inception a decade ago. What started as a tip jar for bloggers has become an extreme moneymaker for some porn performers, making six figures a year or even in a single month. But do you have to post sexually explicit work on OnlyFans? Are you required to message back and forth with strangers? Can you actually make money on the platform? What is OnlyFans, anyway?
We’re here to answer your questions.
What is OnlyFans?
OnlyFans was started in 2016 by British entrepreneur Tim Stokely. Its main goal is to help content creators and artists “monetize their content while developing authentic relationships with their fanbase.” This basically means the platform was created to let users post content behind a paywall, which fans have to subscribe to for access. Fans can also pay more to message back and forth with creators and “tip” to get content created on demand that’s specifically tailored to their interests and tastes.
If you look back at OnlyFans promotional materials from 2016, you’ll notice that it was geared towards “safe for work” creators, like bloggers and YouTubers. This changed in 2018, when the majority of its parent company, Fenix International Limited, was sold to Ukrainian-American entrepreneur Leonid Radvinsky. Radvinsky, who died in March 2026 at the age of 43, previously founded the porn site MyFreeCams. OnlyFans pivoted to porn after 2018 (despite any type of creator still allowed on the platform), and it exploded in usage and name recognition during the COVID lockdowns.
While creators don’t have to post explicit content on the platform (and in fact, Mashable interviewed a creator who makes six figures from OnlyFans without nudity), it’s what the platform is known for at this point. In 2021, OnlyFans announced it would ban explicit content, only to reverse the decision days later due to backlash.
Mashable Light Speed
How much money can creators make on it?
It depends on the kind of content you’re producing, how much reach you have, and a whole host of other variables, but creators can make anywhere from a few hundred dollars a month to a few thousand. In 2023, the average OnlyFans creator made just $1,300 a year from the platform, but Mashable has interviewed creators who’ve made millions from it. Last year, current OnlyFans CEO Keily Blair shared that the platform paid out $25 billion to creators since 2016.
But if you think OnlyFans is “easy money,” think again. Last year, Mashable interviewed different creators about the work that goes into building a successful OnlyFans, including investing in camera equipment, hiring help, and marketing yourself.
How do you subscribe to creators?
You don’t have to be a creator to use the platform — in fact, it’s fueled by users who don’t post on the platform. In order to subscribe to creators, you simply have to create an OnlyFans account, go to the Home page, and find someone you’re interested in following. Check out their subscription tiers, and decide what kind of bundle or offer you’re interested in paying for. You can also tip a creator any amount you want, or pay for messages and individualized content with pay-per-view messages that range anywhere from a couple dollars to more than $100, depending on the creator.
And if you have a friend who’s started posting on OnlyFans and you want to support them, there are ways to do that, too, from subscribing to their pages to offering emotional support.
This article was originally published in 2021 and updated in 2026.
Tesla is developing a smaller, cheaper SUV, report says
Home Depots Spring Black Friday sale is packed with free cordless tools — find the best BOGO deals on DeWalt, Ryobi, and Milwaukee
