Latest news with #Villains
Gizmodo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Doctor Who' Plays a Weird Waiting Game for the Beginning of Its End
'Wish World' straddles a peculiar line between killing time and presenting a very weird world for the Doctor and Belinda to be trapped in. There are a lot of parallels between 'Wish World' and last year's 'The Legend of Ruby Sunday.' They are both, of course, penultimate episodes of their respective seasons of Doctor Who. They are also both built around the return of a classic Doctor Who villain, and paying off a mystery that had played out throughout their respective seasons. Unfortunately they also both share a pretty fatal parallel: they're both aimless waiting games that have little meat on their bones as they count down to a last minute cliffhanger reveal. 'Wish World' has even more of a problem than 'The Legend of Ruby Sunday,' however. That latter episode could at least hinge some tension and atmosphere on the fact that we didn't already know that the last moments were building up to the reveal of Sutekh's return (unless you read the rumors, that is). 'Wish World,' for the most part (more on that later), is building up to a dramatic moment its audience already knows while its main character doesn't: for the Doctor to encounter the returned Rani, and understand what that may mean. And that just makes it a very weird experience, even before you get to the mechanics of how Doctor Who is ticking down to that big reveal. The titular world of 'Wish World' is a contemporary Earth before its apparently fated obliteration, except it's a sideways version of it. Thanks to the help of a convenient magic baby the Rani goes and picks up in medieval Bavaria in the opening moments—the seventh son of a seventh son of a seventh son, which doesn't feel very Evil Science Villainess of her, especially when the baby just essentially starts letting her bend reality in whatever way she wants—noted Utter Bastard Conrad from 'Lucky Day' is the apparent benevolent dictator of the world, broadcasting from a bone palace upon high in London to decide the state of the world, weather, and creepily pleasant lives of everyone in it with a little help from this magic wunderkind. Those subjects include the Doctor and Belinda, who are now Mr. John Smith and his wife Belinda, living a retro-modern nuclear family dream with their baby daughter Poppy as Belinda revels in being a stay-at-home mom and Mr. Smith goes to work at UNIT, now a unified insurance team rather than a vanguard against alien threats. The creepy vibe of this overtly heteronormative existence is in part the point, it turns out: everyone makes very pointed acknowledgements about the role of women being good daughters, good wives, and then good mothers, and when 'Mr. Smith' passingly describes a male co-worker (none other than Colonel Ibrahim, blissfully unaware of who he's meant to be) as handsome, reality almost turns in on itself around him, as if the mere thought of something not cisgender or heterosexual is an affront to this world that Conrad has wished up for everyone. It turns out we can also add 'Hates Disabled People' to the Bumper List of Conrad's Shitty Bigotries, because aside from retrograde thoughts about women and queer people, his bigotry around disabled people has led to an underground society of disabled people who, because they are 'unseen' by Conrad in so much that he doesn't ever think or care about them, are practically invisible to the world around them… except Ruby Sunday, who's likewise unaffected by what's going on around her, letting her team up with Shirley and her friends in the disabled camp to start trying to figure out what's going on. Good job Conrad really sucks in some very specific ways! This is just about where 'Wish World' checks out of trying to tell much more of a story, which is a shame, because the weird creepy vibes are quite good, even if they also mean continued exposure to Conrad (again, no disrespect to Jonah Hauer-King, he's just incredibly good at playing a man with utterly rancid vibes). After 'Mr. Smith' has his brush with the curse of fatal compulsory heterosexuality (spurred on again by a wild, random returning cameo from Jonathan Groff's Rogue, who gets a message out to the Doctor to help him doubt the nature of the Wish World by basically saying 'I am gay and in a hell dimension but please remember that you like men!'), his entire role in the episode is to sit around swirling with doubt about the nature of his existence until he remembers that he's the Doctor. After she links up with Shirley, Ruby's 'investigation' essentially slams the brakes on its own momentum so the two of them can basically look up from below the giant bone palace as it sits above London. And then there's the Rani, or rather the Ranis plural, who are sitting up in that aforementioned bone palace, who are also largely just biding their time, as the latest incarnation of the renegade Time Lady practically begs the Doctor to figure out the world that she's dominating through Conrad is a falsehood, so he can remember who he is, and more importantly, who she is. But it's a weird vibe of the less intentional sort than those given off by Conrad's Bigot Paradise. The episode is, essentially, ticking down until you get to that moment of realization between the Doctor and the Rani, even after she spends much of the third act of 'Wish World' expositing to his face in an attempt to get the artifice to crumble around him once and for all. But because we already know that she's the Rani, and that the Doctor is not an insurance salesman named John Smith, there's no tension or mystery in what's being built towards, you're just a knowing audience waiting for the shoe to drop for the show's protagonist, a shoe you've known all along is going to drop. At least 'The Legend of Ruby Sunday' had the mystery of Susan Triad to build a sense of dread around, even if there wasn't much more to the episode beyond that—all 'Wish World' has is a compelling creepy concept it largely discards halfway through and then a literal ticking clock as we wait for the episode's final moments. So it turns out 'Wish World' needs to throw in another mystery reveal right at the last moment, because the Doctor realizing who the Rani is is not that much of an actual reveal to us any more. It turns out the Rani's big ticking clock counting down to May 24 has been powered by collecting the doubts of anyone who's questioned Conrad's reality, the Doctor included, juicing up the Vindicator the Doctor and Belinda have charged throughout the season even further to rip a hole through Earth and reality itself… opening up a dimension where none other than Omega, the ancient, godlike co-founder of Time Lord society (well, Timeless Child stuff nonwithstanding!), awaits. Admittedly 'Wish World' does get the leg up on 'Legend of Ruby Sunday' by putting its 'devastating destruction of pretty much everyone but our hero that will be inevitably undone next episode' moment before the cliffhanger this time, as we watch Earth splinter apart and collapse into the underverse, seemingly blipping everyone but the Doctor, Conrad, and the Ranis out of existence, Belinda included. But the Omega reveal is more confusing than it is shocking in the moment, because it feels like it comes out of nowhere after the episode builds towards an already dramatically compromised reveal. Sure, we don't know why the Rani is doing all this weird stuff with Conrad and a magic baby, but the episode never treats that as a mystery to interrogate, it's just ticking in the background while the Rani yearns for the Doctor to recognize her. So when Omega is invoked—we don't see him, it's just his name being dropped—what could've been something 'Wish World' built to just largely comes out of left field (unless you already happened to see that Russell T Davies teased on Instagram last week that there was a mystery third party in the villainous mix between Conrad and the Ranis, but should you have to check the showrunner's social media for suitable dramatic tension?). The Rani and the Doctor's encounter is all that 'Wish World' was building toward up to that point, and because it's building up to it for all of its runtime, the moment itself doesn't really get to sit beyond the climactic final minutes, robbing it of what little tension could remain. And so again, we're left waiting to see if next week's grand finale will retroactively make this week's preparation feel worth the clock-ticking… and if we really needed the Rani's return to herald Omega, and all the implications that then has for the Time Lords and Gallifrey at large beyond that. That feels like a lot to dig into, at least. Imagine if we'd gotten a two-part finale that actually leveraged its time to do just that?
Geek Girl Authority
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
mother gothel Archives
Categories Select Category Games GGA Columns Movies Stuff We Like The Daily Bugle TV & Streaming Animation Movies Stuff We Like Think Pieces Hear us out on this unpopular take, perhaps Mother Gothel from Disney's Tangled wasn't all that bad? We take a look from her persepctive.
Hindustan Times
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Walt Disney World announces ‘free kids meal'; Check who is eligible and how to grab one
Walt Disney World on Monday announced that it will offer free meals to kids starting next year. The statement from Walt Disney World comes before the sales opening of 2026 hotel and ticket, which starts on Tuesday. A message on the Walt Disney World's website states that the offer is available to kids aged between 3 to 9 and is applicable for arrivals in 2026. However, there are a few catches to maximize the benefit: For the duration of their visit, all visitors must sign up for the offered dining plan, which will be free for the kids. Moreover, adult parents or guardians are required to stay in a room with eligible kids at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel. Both the Quick-Service Dining Plan and the Dining Plan, which provide combinations of meals, snacks, and beverages, are available to guests. Disney World suggested making reservations in advance due to the limited number of travel packages that can be combined with the complimentary dinner offer. Disney typically doesn't let guests combine the free dinner promotion with other offers, but in 2026, that won't be the case, according to The Points Guy. According to reports, Disney will also reinstate a 2025 perk that was very popular among its visitors. This included free admission to the water park for travelers lodging at Disney World hotels on the day of check-in. Also Read: Villains to Avengers: Disney reveals new bold attractions in ambitious theme park resort expansion Disney Dining Plans come in two different varieties. Regardless of the option selected, guests would be eligible for the complimentary equivalent kids package for any children residing with them. The Disney Dining Plan includes: 1 table-service meal per night of stay 1 quick-service meal per night of stay 1 snack or nonalcoholic drink per night of stay 1 refillable resort tumbler The Disney Quick Service Dining Plan includes: 2 quick-service meals per night of stay 1 snack or nonalcoholic drink per night of stay 1 refillable resort tumbler All visitors lodging at Disney resort hotels are eligible for free parking, early theme park admission, advanced access to Disney dining reservations, early entry to Lightning Lanes reservations, and pre-stay savings on a few Magic Bands+. On some nights, visitors who stay at Disney's deluxe resorts and villas are also eligible for longer evening theme park hours at specific parks. Reservations for the majority of 2026 Disney World vacations will be started on April 22. Reservations will be accepted until October. Reservations and prices for November and December will be announced later. The cost of a Disney theme park ticket varies by park and date, but it will remain same until October 2026.
New York Times
14-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Champions League quarter-final odds: Barcelona and PSG favourites to progress
For more stories like this click here to follow The Athletic's sports betting section and have them added to your feed. Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund were hoping to thwart Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona's charge for the Champions League trophy last week, but neither team were able to spin the underdog trope successfully. Advertisement The second-leg showdowns offer very few reasons to be optimistic. PSG and Barca are weighing in as massive favourites – 1/16 and 1/500, respectively – to secure a semi-final berth. On the surface, the betting pick appears straightforward: wager on a clear-cut favourite or follow through with the long-shot, out-of-towners. But if you look deeper, there are valuable insights to consider… Considering the Expected Goal (xG) statistics, the 3-1 scoreline favouring PSG seems somewhat misleading. Unai Emery's men mustered up 0.9 xG despite scoring first with a goal from Morgan Rogers in the 35th minute. When an underdog scores first in an away leg, it's common to see poor chance creation metrics as the team looks to protect their lead. However, there's reason to believe that the Villains could threaten PSG's goal at Villa Park, making for a more intriguing contest. Move beyond xG, however, and things quickly become far less promising for the hosts. For starters, that Rogers opener came as a result of PSG left-back Nuno Mendes losing possession and falling just outside of Villa's attacking third. That turnover sparked a counterattack, allowing Rogers to squeeze out a chance with an xG of 0.35 at the back post – where the absent Mendes should have been. Case in point, over one-third of a side's chance creation from a one-off mistake by their opponent, isn't a formula for lasting success. Villa also struggled to retain or progress the ball into more dangerous areas. It's unsurprising that PSG dominated the possession battle (75 per cent to the visitors' 25) and completed 591 more passes than their opponent (yes, that's not their total, that's the difference). While some teams can skew possession stats by joylessly passing it around in their defensive third (see: every Louis Van Gaal Manchester United side), PSG had an impressive 453 touches in Villa's attacking third during the first leg. The seven shots Villa managed to notch were a tad fortunate as they were generated from only nine touches in PSG's penalty area. Regardless of the scoreline, Villa Park will be thumping this Tuesday. Yet, for all the frivolities, there are some key differences to consider, chiefly in the domestic schedules. Key players like Marco Ascensio, Marcus Rashford, Youri Tielemans, Andre Onana and Rogers spent at least 65 minutes on the pitch for the Villains in last Saturday's 3-0 victory over Southampton. In contrast, the Parisians enjoyed a weekend off, having already wrapped up the league title. Advertisement A well-rested favourite taking on an underwhelming underdog struggling to balance squad fitness across two competitions doesn't exactly point to a goalfest. The Villains could nab a goal because football is, well, football. But it's unlikely they have enough of the ball to score more than that. Best bet to consider: Total Home Goals Under 1 – (6/5) Unlike Villa, there's no ominous 'abandon all hope ye who enter here' sign to take note of when examining Dortmund's first-leg stats. On the surface, Barca's 4-0 victory seemed like a lopsided affair in terms of the scoreline and the xG tallies (3.51 to 1.13). But, wade in a little deeper, you'll see a more complete picture of the odds around BVB's potential fortunes. Barcelona may have created a shade under four goals worth of chances. Surprisingly, their expected threat – which focuses on how often the ball gets played into high-value areas – was significantly lower than expected at 1.66 and barely ahead of Dortmund's at 1.13, per MarkRstats. Niko Kovač's men also mostly kept up with Barca in penalty box shots (14-10), deep entries (17-10) and high turnovers (5-3). While some of the data is flattering purely due to game state – teams multiple goals up tend to ease off, even one managed by Hansi Flick – the German underdogs can at least feel cautiously optimistic about their chances of scoring. The problem for Dortmund in the second leg may not be finding good chances against Barcelona but stopping them. At the start of April, the club announced that star centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck would be out for six months due to a torn meniscus in his left knee. In ten of their previous 13 matches, ending with a 3-1 victory against Mainz on March 30th, Dortmund gave up a goal's worth of xG or less. In their three matches since Schlotterbeck began his spell on the sidelines, BVB have conceded seven actual goals on 7.6 xG. Defending how they have been won't get them far, even with Barca facing similar injury upheavals. 🎙️ Niko #Kovac: 'Wir müssen morgen einhundert Prozent geben. Wir müssen eine andere Mentalität als in Barcelona an den Tag legen. Nur das erhöht die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass wir das Spiel gegen einen Meisterschafts-Aspiranten gewinnen.' #FCBBVB — Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) April 11, 2025 Still, goals may be there for the taking and with Barca's variable pressing patterns, it's not unrealistic to say Dortmund might make this interesting at some point. On top of that, Flick's stars may not all be on the pitch right away. The 60-year-old hasn't gone down the traditional route of rotating heavily for La Liga games to safeguard his team's European campaign. Indeed, over the weekend, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal all started for La Blaugrana against Leganés. Advertisement Given Flick's M.O., it's unlikely he will field a weaker starting XI, much less for the second leg of a Champions League tie, but it would be wise to keep an eye on Tuesday's lineup. Bookmakers sometimes don't drastically change odds if squads are rotated unexpectedly. If Flick benches one or more of his core attackers in light of being four goals to the good, that could lead to some value on more than a few Dortmund bets. Best bet to consider: Team To Score First: Dortmund – (6/4) Betting/Odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Desire Doue: Michael Steele / Getty Images)
BBC News
14-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'If anyone is going to turn it around - it is gong to be us'
Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers says there is "massive belief" from team that they can turn their Champions League quarter-final tie Emery's side need to overturn a two-goal deficit at Villa Park on Tuesday night after succumbing to a 3-1 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the first is set to be a tough task for the Villains against the Ligue 1 leaders as they look to reach the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since they won the 1981-82 European Cup."There's massive belief in the dressing room. I know most people wrote us off before this tie, but in the first leg we gave a good account of ourselves," said Rogers, who scored in the first leg."Of course, there are things that we needed to improve on but we know [PSG] now. There is a task on our hands."Under the lights at home in the quarter-finals of this competition, there's not many better places to be."If anyone is going to turn it around, it is gong to be us. It's down to us and we are excited for that challenge."It's going to be difficult and I am not saying that we are going to do it, but we will definitely give it a shot and go out there to win."While boss Emery has a lot of European competition pedigree under his belt, it is has been Villa's first foray into the top-tier cup competition on the continent since 1983, but that has not overawed the players."We have tremendous belief in the group, our manager and the coaching staff," Rogers added. "We are here for a reason. We have taken on any battle that has come our way this season and we have won the game that we needed to be where we are."You could think we don't deserve to be here but that's not how we look at it. We fully deserve to here and we need to keep pushing."
