Entertainment
Starfleet Academy's Star Trek: DS9 Tribute Was An Insult To Avery Brooks, Violated His Wishes
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Starfleet Academy recently aired an episode (“Series Acclimation Mil”) dedicated to Deep Space Nine, one that sought to definitively explain what happened to Captain Benjamin Sisko. The episode served shockingly well as a tribute to this iconic Trek show and Avery Brooks, the legendary performer who originally brought Sisko to life. However, what most fans don’t realize is that a major plot point of this episode goes against the wishes Brooks explicitly expressed over 30 years ago.
In the Deep Space Nine series finale, Sisko tackles Gul Dukat, sending both of them on a lethal fall into Bajor’s Fire Caves; however, Sisko is saved from death by the Prophets, who bring him to live with them inside the wormhole. The show was originally going to leave it completely ambiguous as to whether Sisko would ever return, but at Avery Brooks’ insistence, the writers added Sisko promising that he would eventually come back. Starfleet Academy (beware spoilers, cadets!) confirmed that Sisko never returned, though, meaning that the episode dedicated to Brooks’ character just completely ignored his final request for Sisko.
From Man To Prophet
Some important context: towards the end of Deep Space Nine, Captain Sisko had married Kasidy Yates, and they conceived a child shortly before his final mission. Originally, the writers of the DS9 episode “What You Leave Behind” wanted to make it clear that Sisko would become a full-time Prophet in the wormhole and that he would never get to see his family ever again. This was meant to pay off a previous warning from his Prophet mother that if Sisko were to marry Yates, he “would know nothing but sorrow.”
Accordingly, they shot a final scene with Sisko and Yates where he told her he would never return; however, Avery Brooks soon told Deep Space Nine showrunner Ira Steven Behr that he didn’t like the scene because he didn’t like his character being a Black man who leaves his pregnant Black wife to raise their child alone, feeling like this had negative cultural connotations.
At Brooks’ request, the writers gave Sisko an iconic response to his wife asking when he would return: “It’s hard to say. Maybe a year, maybe yesterday. But I will be back.” To this, a faithful Kasidy Yates gave her hopeful response: “And I will be waiting.”
The Mystery Of Sisko’s Fate
While Deep Space Nine was set in the 24th century, Starfleet Academy (itself a Discovery spinoff) takes place in the 32nd century. When the holographic cadet SAM investigates the mystery of Sisko’s disappearance, she verifies that, according to Starfleet records, Sisko never actually returned at any point in the last 800 years. Eventually, she even talks to Jake Sisko (who may be an interactive hologram, a visiting Prophet, or something else altogether), and he confirms that while his father was metaphorically “always there,” Sisko never returned in a corporeal form.
In this way, Starfleet Academy ultimately ignored Avery Brooks’ final wishes concerning his character. The writers retroactively confirmed that Sisko did, indeed, leave his son, his wife, and his unborn child behind forever to become a full-time Prophet. Admittedly, the writers didn’t have much of a choice (Brooks is fully retired from acting and has zero interest in returning to Trek), but it’s notably weird that the episode intended to honor Sisko as a character was built on dishonoring the wishes of his actor.
Did Jake Sisko Keep Lying For 800 Years?
Of course, the truth might not be that cut and dry: there’s a chance that Sisko really did return and Starfleet never found out about it. Unless he or Kasidy Yates told somebody, how would anybody actually know? The Prophets could theoretically return him with an entirely new face, allowing him to walk around Bajor and around the entire galaxy without being recognized.
If this happened, then Jake likely knew about it and chose not to reveal the truth to anyone. This includes SAM, which might be why (despite their rapport) he seems cagey about discussing anything tangible about his father, a man who “never really left us.” This is couched as a metaphor, but what if Sisko really did return to his family and never left again?
It’s fitting, somehow, that Star Trek fans must decide for themselves what happened to Benjamin Sisko: did he remain a Prophet forever or secretly return to his family as promised? What you believe happened to this iconic character is ultimately a matter of personal faith. What could be more fitting for a Star Trek character who became the immortal savior of an entire alien race?
Entertainment
The Devil Gets Neutered In Anne Hathaway's New Trailer
If I want to see cats fight, I have four of them in my home.
By Jennifer Asencio
| Published
The trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2 was released this week, and so far, it seems like merely a visit among the legacy characters with a new character thrown in to make it look like Andy and Miranda have been doing something for the past 20 years. What little of the plot was revealed centers around a scandal Miranda is experiencing, and she has retained her old assistant Andy as a consultant to help navigate the storm.
This results in lots of scenes of Andy with legacy characters Emily and Nigel, trying on clothes and walking around in them, showing off. Once or twice, we’re treated to a snarky comment from Miranda in which she picks on Andy’s sense of fashion or down-home sensibility. It’s as though nothing has changed at the magazine Miranda is editor of, not even the styles the models are adorned in.
We are treated to bits of recap from the original film, when Andy is telling newcomer Amari all about her adventures in the previous film. What we’re not shown a lot of is what is going to happen next. None of the lines are funny on their own. Some of them are sarcastic and caustic but most of them are just Andy, Emily, and Miranda sniping at one another like three little boys in an insult contest, with Andy taking the brunt of the attacks, as usual.
Sure, there’s lots of pretty clothes and shots of big fancy parties in big fancy places where people strut around like living mannequins to exhibit the fashions, and I suppose that’s the main thing we want from a Devil Wears Prada movie, but the majority of the trailer was merely a commercial for Paris Fashion Week with a few celebrities in the mix.
More Of The Same 20 Years In The Making
Not even the presence of new addition Simone Ashley as Amari could save the trailer. Ashley, known for her role as Olivia in the British high school comedy drama Sex Education, and as Kate Sharma in Bridgerton, plays the girl working the post Andy formerly worked. Ashley’s strength as an actress is in playing “bitches with a heart of gold,” and she seems typecast as the cold and disdainful Amari, but the character fits right into Miranda Priestly’s world.
The strength of the first movie was how Andy was a fish out of water at the fashion magazine while Amari seems to be an Emily-in-training. I don’t know what the movie gains by circling the wagons around women whose main sport is cutting one another down, but the trailer indicates that Ashley’s talent is going to be wasted playing yet another Olivia or Kate Shwarma.
The Sequel Trailer Ain’t Sequeling
It has been exactly 20 years since the iconic hit comedy The Devil Wears Prada was released. Anne Hathaway starred as Andy Sachs, a young intern fresh out of college who wants to become a journalist, but winds up hired into the fashion magazine world of Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the most demanding boss in Manhattan.
Throughout the movie, Miranda exercises her power as a fashion maven with an iron grip over her entire staff, including Andy, Miranda’s other co-assistant Emily (Emily Blunt), and fashion guru Nigel (Stanley Tucci), demanding such impossible tasks as an airline flight during a hurricane and an advance copy of the then-unpublished sixth Harry Potter novel. The movie was based on a book by Lauren Weisberger about her time working for fashion icon Anna Wintour, and both book and movie skewer the industry through the Wintour analog of Miranda. The movie was such a runaway success that even Wintour loved it, despite it parodying her.
A sequel should deliver on more of the same from its predecessor while also adding something new. The Devil Wears Prada 2 seems to give us the “more of the same part,” but seems to have avoided giving audiences much that is all that new in favor of a cynical and nostalgic cash grab that seems a mere remake of the original movie with some extra ambition on Andy’s part thrown in for good measure. Is Andy still going to be the innocent, or have the intervening 20 years turned her fully into another Miranda?
After watching this trailer, I’m not sure I care. If I want to see cats fight, I have four of them in my home. I don’t need to pay money to a theater to watch them do it on screen for no reason. At least the first movie was funny, but this trailer is devoid of humor and did not make me want to see a movie that I’ve been excited about since it was announced.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 hits theaters on May 1, 2026.
Entertainment
Khloé Kardashian Shares Her Strength-Focused Workout Routine and the Sweet Ways She Stays Active With Her Kids
Lift heavy, live light! Khloé Kardashian is opening up to ET about her current fitness routine and it’s just as effective as it is heartwarming.
While The Kardashians star still makes it a point to hit the gym, she’s learned not to sweat it when life gets in the way.
“My workouts are a mix of strength training and cardio,” she shares. “I give myself grace, too. Not every day is perfect, but consistency matters more than perfection.”
These days, some of her favorite ways to stay active happen right at home with her daughter, True, 7, and son Tatum, 3.
“It’s definitely a balance, but I’ve stopped thinking of it as a separate time. I try to blend everything together when I can,” the Khloé in Wonder Land podcast host says.
“With my kids, it’s all about making movement fun. We’ll have dance parties, go on walks, or just play games that keep us moving.”
Regardless of what her schedule looks like, Kardashian believes it really comes down to making nutritious choices.
“Protein is everything for me when it comes to working out. It keeps me strong, helps with recovery, and makes all the effort actually show up in results,” she explains. “No matter what I’m doing, fueling properly is key.”
She adds, “I’ve learned the hard way that if I’m not getting enough protein, I feel it. I’m more tired, my workouts feel harder, and I don’t recover the same.”
That same mindset even carries over into her snacking habits.
“Protein honestly changed the way I feel day to day. When I prioritize it, I have more energy, I stay full longer, and I’m not reaching for random snacks late at night. It just helps everything fall into place,” she notes. “When I stay on track, I feel stronger and more motivated.”
So instead of mindless eating, Kardashian is reaching for something more intentional: Her new Khloud Protein Chips, available in Nacho, Sweet Heat, and Buffalo flavors.
“I wanted something that actually feels like a treat, but still supports my goals,” she tells ET. “They give me that crunch and satisfaction, but I still feel good about eating them. It doesn’t feel like a compromise.”
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Entertainment
Stephen Colbert Compares His Career Pivot To SNL's Funniest Cast Member
By TeeJay Small
| Published
Stephen Colbert has already managed to have a generational television run over the course of the past several decades. Whether you were a fan of his satire on The Colbert Report, or his more straightforward material on CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, it’s hard to ignore the impact that the 61-year-old has had thus far. Of course, The Late Show is slated to come to a close this May, leaving many to wonder exactly what Colbert and his crew will do next.
Now, thanks to a write-up in Variety, we can confirm that Stephen Colbert will continue working as a writer, but he’ll be taking a more serious dramatic pivot. The comedian’s next chapter will include a co-writing credit on a new Lord of the Rings film titled Shadow of the Past. While discussing this surprising change of pace on a recent episode of the Smartless podcast, Colbert compared his trajectory to that of Saturday Night Live‘s Bill Hader.
The Colbert/Hader Parallel
During the Smartless interview, which was recorded before the news of Shadow of the Past was made public, Colbert made attempts to dodge questions about his next big project. Rather than giving a direct answer, he explained “the person who did the thing I most admire — I mean, not most admire, but the thing that really struck me is, you know what Hader did when he left SNL? He went and wrote for South Park for a season.”
The late night host concluded that working on an established IP that you love, and one to which you hold a personal attachment, is a great way to get your own creative juices flowing, and jumpstart something fresh and new in your artistic career. It’s worth noting that Bill Hader has since gone on to create and star in HBO’s Barry, which has earned countless accolades and an overwhelmingly positive response from critics. Hader also back-doored a promising career as a director through the series, and has since secured a deal with MRC to helm a psychological horror movie titled They Know.
Colbert’s Transition To Middle Earth Makes Sense
Fans of Stephen Colbert will be quick to point out that the comedian is a hardcore Tolkien fan. Needless to say, he’s probably more than happy to hang up his mantle as a late night host in favor of taking a hands-on role in the future of the expansive Lord of the Rings franchise. For now, details regarding Shadow of the Past are scant, but Colbert has confirmed that the narrative will be adapted from cut content originally slated for The Fellowship of the Ring.
It’s unclear at this time if Colbert will be punching up the script with his trademark blend of witty one-liners, or if he’ll be playing things entirely straight, and harnessing his inner LOTR fanaticism to deliver something as powerful and moving as Peter Jackson’s original trilogy. Either way, it could be the start of something completely unexpected. Nobody could have anticipated Bill Hader’s transformation on Barry, both as a serious performer and as a shockingly promising director. If that career change is any indication of what we’re getting with Colbert, it’s certainly worth following along.
The Devil Gets Neutered In Anne Hathaway's New Trailer
EFF is the latest organization to leave X
