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We’ve reached the penultimate episode of Falcon and The Winter Soldier, which means the series finale is just one week away. Still, despite the clock rapidly ticking down, we’ve got plenty of mysteries and unanswered questions left swirling around the show to dig into–so many, in fact, that there’s a real chance we may not get resolutions for all of them in only one episode. But the potential for a second season or any number of spin-off shows or movie cameos for the cast remains on the table, of course. This is the MCU, after all.

This week picked up in the aftermath of John Walker’s homicidal meltdown. After a knock-down-drag-out fight, Sam and Bucky were able to wrangle the shield from him leaving him to return to the US for court martial. Walker is given an “other than honorable” discharge and basically left to slink off with his tail between his legs–that is until a mysterious newcomer, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), arrives to make Walker a strange and inscrutable offer of support along with an apparently blank business card.

In the comics, the Contessa is a spy-slash-femme fatal who originated back in the ’60s for a Nick Fury solo comic book series. She would typically show up to complicate issues for both Nick and his teammate, Dum Dum Dugan, and then eventually went full villain and became Madame Hydra–a moniker used by specific HYDRA leaders in the comics. HYDRA has been mostly inactive in the MCU since the aftermath of Winter Soldier, which exposed their roots in SHIELD, but they could potentially regroup and make a comeback. It’s unclear if this incarnation of the Contessa will be spearheading that movement, or if she represents the interests of another group we haven’t met yet.

While Walker continued his descent into villainy, Sam and Bucky took some much needed downtime in Louisiana, helping Sam’s sister figure out next steps with the family boat. A substantial part of the episode dealt with Sam’s complicated feelings on the legacy of the shield, a problem exacerbated by a visit with Isaiah Bradley who told him in no uncertain terms that no “self respecting Black man” would ever want to be part of that legacy. However, after working with Bucky and spending time with his nephews, Sam began to see things from a different perspective and decided to undergo a full-on Rocky training montage during which he learned to handle the shield like a pro.

Meanwhile, back in Madripoor, Sharon continued to pull strings to some unknown end. It’s still looking like she’s actually the Power Broker (though Contessa may be another possible suspect now–we simply don’t know enough about her to make a call yet.) It turns out Sharon is the one who sent Batroc to hijack the planes back in the first episode and now wants to send him to the Flag Smashers to offer weapons. And speaking of the Flag Smashers, part of their plan was also revealed–they intend to disrupt an upcoming GRC vote about “repatriation” of refugees who settled in new places during the Blip.

Of course, it would be strange for Sharon, if she is indeed the Power Broker, to suddenly want to help the Flag Smashers who stole her serum, but her actual motives could be more complicated and insidious.

Speaking of insidious, Zemo–who escaped during a chaotic fight in Episode 4–was quickly run aground by Bucky back in Sokovia. Zemo didn’t actually seem that interested in trying to get anywhere or accomplish anything with his newfound freedom, and went willingly with the Dora Milaje, who told Bucky they would be taking him to the floating supermax prison the Raft.

Is this the last we’ve seen of Zemo in the MCU? It’s too hard to call–but certainly people have escaped from the Raft in the past (like Steve’s entire Civil War team, for example) so anything is possible.

The episode ended with a mid-credits scene of Walker having his very own “built this in a cave with scraps” style moment, bunkered down in what looks like a garage forging a shield all his own. It’s clearly not vibranium, but considering Walker is now a super soldier, it’s likely to still be a very formidable weapon.

Things to remember as we head into the finale:

• Bucky had the Wakandans make something for Sam–likely a vibranium Captain America costume, or at the very least a new set of wings–but we haven’t actually seen it yet.
• Joaquin Torres was given the old wings by Sam after they were badly damaged in a fight with Walker. Torres will likely use his tech prowess to fix them up and become the new Falcon.
• Isaiah Bradley’s grandson, Eli, had a brief cameo in this episode–he’s definitely one to keep an eye on if the MCU ever decides to build a Young Avengers team.

Recently retired designer Takaya Imamura had a hand in many of Nintendo’s most beloved games and franchises during his 30-plus year career at the company, including the now-dormant sci-fi racing series F-Zero. It’s been more than 16 years since the last F-Zero game–2004’s F-Zero Climax–released on the Game Boy Advance, with little indication that Nintendo has any interest in dusting the series off. And if Imamura’s recent comments are anything to go by, the company seems to have a disappointingly rigid mentality when it comes to the prospect of a sequel.

Despite F-Zero’s long absence, Imamura recently told IGN that he believes the series “isn’t dead,” although it would be difficult to revive without some kind of “grand idea” to set it apart from previous installments. This view in itself is not surprising; this has long been Nintendo’s prevailing philosophy when designing a new entry in one of its series, and it’s a view that designer and producer Shigeru Miyamoto has similarly expressed in the past.

However, a sequel doesn’t always need a “grand idea” to justify its existence. Given how long it’s been dormant at this point, a straightforward follow-up to F-Zero GX–the series’ last console installment–or even a remaster of that game would be enough of a novelty to generate interest. It would be one matter if Nintendo had been regularly pumping out F-Zero games over the past 16 years, and franchise fatigue was beginning to set in, but the series hasn’t seen a new entry in almost two decades now. After such a long absence, any new F-Zero game will feel fresh, even if it doesn’t introduce new gameplay elements or mechanics. Simply seeing the series with modern HD visuals or being able to race online against other players would be exciting enough draws in their own right to justify a new release.

It would also help introduce the franchise to a wider audience. F-Zero has been dormant for so long now that there’s an entire generation of Nintendo fans who have not had the chance to play the series–a problem that’s compounded by the fact that most older entries are not widely available on modern systems. The only legitimate way to play the aforementioned F-Zero GX is to track down a copy of it for GameCube, and while most of the series’ other installments were re-released digitally for Wii U, only the original F-Zero is currently available on the Switch.

Of course, another matter that likely explains Nintendo’s reticence to revisit the series is sales. F-Zero has never been a commercial juggernaut; while the first three F-Zero games each sold more than a million copies, no other installment since has approached that mark. It’s possible a Switch entry could buck that trend, given how well most games are selling on the system. After all, the Pikmin series has likewise never been a strong seller, but the recent Switch port of Pikmin 3 moved nearly 2 million copies, making it the best-selling entry to date. The same holds true for Luigi’s Mansion. While the series’ 3DS installment, Dark Moon, sold an impressive 5 million copies, its Switch sequel moved nearly double that. F-Zero could experience a similar resurgence on the system were Nintendo to give it a chance, but its more hardcore appeal admittedly makes success far from assured.

Nintendo’s deliberate approach to developing sequels is in large part why so many of its franchises remain so popular to this day, but it’s also potentially caused the company to table some beloved series like F-Zero. Fortunately, the Switch’s runaway success does seem to have emboldened the company to take some more risks, particularly when it comes to some older properties. One of the most surprising announcements to come from the February Nintendo Direct is that the two Famicom Detective Club games are being remade and localized 30 years after their original release. If Famicom Detective Club can get a revival, there may still be hope for F-Zero.

After being closed for over a year, California’s Universal Studios Hollywood has reopened and while some things remain the same, there are also a number of differences. From new safety protocols to additions to the park, there’s plenty to talk about when plotting a visit. What’s more, with Disneyland’s grand reopening coming on April 30, Universal should be a pretty good indicator of what to expect should you be planning to visit there.

To see for ourselves what the new Universal Studios is like, GameSpot visited the park during its annual pass holder preview event. While there, it was easy to see not only what has changed in terms of the experience, but what has been added to the park over the last year.

Take a look below at the eight biggest things we learned from our time at Universal Studios Hollywood so you’ll be able to plan your first visit to the park.

1. The reduced capacities make a difference

Under current guidance from the state of California, both Universal Studios Hollywood and the parks at Disneyland Resort (Disneyland and Disney California Adventure) can open at 25% capacity. And it shows when walking the parks. During the day at Universal, it rarely felt crowded and even in places with heavier traffic, it was easy to quickly divert yourself to areas with fewer people.

What’s more, dining was incredibly easy due to an abundance of designated dining areas set up throughout the park, both indoors and outdoors. All of the tables were properly spaced and made it much more comfortable to remove your required masks to eat and drink.

2. But the lines can still be incredibly long

While capacity may be a fraction of what it once was, that doesn’t mean you’re not waiting in lines for rides. While some of Universal’s attractions had wait times as little as 5-20 minutes, the marquee rides had a much longer wait.

Most notably, the park’s studio tour (Universal Studios is also a working film and TV studio) had a posted wait time of nearly an hour throughout the day. Meanwhile, the freshly renovated Jurassic World Attraction ballooned to a three-hour wait, even with so few people in the park.

That no doubt helped contribute to how little foot traffic there was in other parts of the park, but most go to these places for the rides. So, if you’re going to Universal or even Disneyland once it opens, make sure you work out a rough schedule for your day. Figure out what rides are most important to you and try to line up for them the moment you enter the park. And while we’re at it, make sure to adhere to the social distancing marks on the ground throughout the park when queueing up.

3. Virtual lines should be the park’s future

One major upgrade is the virtual line system employed on the new Secret Life of Pets ride, which we’ll discuss below. The virtual line works more or less like Disneyland’s FastPass system, allowing you to reserve a time to go on the ride. It should, in theory, cut down on wait time and also help avoid long lines that snake throughout the park.

The virtual line system wasn’t up on Pets for the entire day. However, when it was being used the line was manageable and the park’s employees were able to keep the line moving at a decent clip.

Honesty, this is a system Universal would have been wise to implement elsewhere in the park during the year-long closure. A virtual line system could have greatly cut down on the three-hour wait for Jurassic World and made the Studio Tour line easier to fathom.

4. Super Nintendo World Hollywood is official, finally

We all knew it was happening, but Universal never properly announced it. However, new signage in the park confirms that Super Nintendo World is coming to Universal Studios Hollywood. What’s more, it’s a big addition. Looking down on the land from above shows just how large a footprint it’s making in the park. What remains to be seen is what will be included in the new land. While the Mario Kart ride is practically a guarantee, it’s unclear if the Yoshi ride that opened at Universal Studios Japan will also be featured.

5. The new Secret Life of Pets ride is worth the wait

Universal was preparing to launch The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash just as the COVID-19 pandemic caused the parks to close. Now, with the park reopening, visitors can finally ride the Pets attraction–and they should.

Unlike many of Universal’s screen-based attractions, Off the Leash is an all-ages attraction that resembles a classic Disney-style dark ride. It’s filled with animatronics of the characters from the movie that you see as you ride through a number of sets in a ride vehicle. Yes, there are still screens featured throughout the ride, but they’re used to accentuate what’s going on, rather than just plopping guests in front of a massive movie screen and playing 3D movies in front of them. (Sorry, The Simpsons Ride.)

The only drawback of this particular attraction is the ride vehicle itself. Rather than a bench, which would allow a parent to take two small children on the ride, the vehicle is divided into two seats. That could cause some issues, depending on the ratio of adult-to-child in any given party. What’s more, they aren’t exactly roomy seats, so some adults might find them uncomfortable.

6. The Jurassic World ride is finally complete

Though it opened to the public in 2019, the updated Jurassic World ride was incomplete. What was missing, and is now included in the ride, is a climactic scene in which the Indominus Rex from the first Jurassic World movie comes face-to-face with the iconic Tyrannosaurus Rex from the Jurassic Park films and ride. It takes Jurassic World from a simple reskinning of the original Jurassic World ride to a much more exciting attraction, though as noted above you might have to wait quite a while to actually ride it.

7. Not everything is open

While the majority of the park is open for guests, some attractions remain closed. For instance, the shows Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular and Special Effects Stage were closed during the preview, as were The Simpsons Ride and Kung Fu Panda Adventure. In a park of Universal’s relatively modest size, having four major attractions closed cuts out a big chunk of things to do. Thus far, there’s no word on when those rides and shows will reopen. However, the Universal’s Animal Actors show is still running, in case you really need a theme park show fix.

8. Halloween Horror Nights is probably happening

While not officially announced, there was construction happening around the park where Halloween Horror Nights houses are traditionally built, Including the Waterworld queue and the Parisian courtyard in the Upper Lot of the park. Universal Studios Orlando has already announced it will be doing its annual celebration of all things scary, so it would make sense for it to also return to the Hollywood park.

As for what to expect, that remains unknown. However, an eagle-eyed fan spotted a familiar sign in the haunt being built in the Waterworld queue that hints at a potential Halloween 3: Season of the Witch attraction, which would be pretty amazing.

9. The experience feels largely safe

Overall, the biggest takeaway from visiting Universal Studios Hollywood is how safe it feels, even when compared to the company’s parks in Orlando last summer. This is for a number of reasons, from the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine to a smaller number of people being allowed into the park due to it being much smaller than its Florida counterpart.

However, much like visiting Universal Studios Orlando nearly a year ago, your safety is your responsibility. If you don’t feel comfortable visiting a theme park, you absolutely shouldn’t. They’re not going anywhere. If you do, though, it’s up to you to make sure you keep the proper distance and adhere to the guidelines once in the park. Yes, employees will likely correct you should you improperly remove your mask or gather too closely with crowds of people, but your safety is your responsibility, as is the safety of those you come into contact with.

Universal Studios Hollywood is open now. Disneyland will open on April 30. To visit the parks, you will have to obtain reservations, in addition to purchasing tickets (or using your annual pass, if you have one to Universal).

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Throughout WandaVision’s early episodes, viewers complained that the show needed a villain. The next MCU show, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, has the opposite problem: The show has two villains, but neither really works. Karli Morgenthau and John Walker each fit the definition of an antagonist for Sam and Bucky, but neither is a good villain–albeit for very different reasons.

Let’s talk about John Walker first. The new Captain America, borrowing from the stories of “US Agent” in the comics, is a decorated soldier who took up the iconic shield at the behest of the US government. After injecting himself with the supersoldier serum and losing his best friend Lemar during battle in Episode 4, the unsavory elements of John’s character won out, and he’s been on an overtly villainous path ever since.

The problem with John is he was never likeable to begin with. On Falcon and Winter Soldier, we haven’t witnessed the tragic corruption of a previously sympathetic character, like Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight; John seemed like a pretty big jerk from the first moment we met him. From his pompous introduction in Episode 2, John Walker has been egotistical, petulant, and naive–which is ironic considering the one thing about his past that has been established is his highly decorated military history. He’s made bad call after bad call, refused to listen to other, more knowledgeable characters, and screwed up over and over. Even the casting plays a part here–Wyatt Russell just has a certain kind of face, like Walton Goggins, that makes you want to punch him in it. This character never had any chance of being a “good guy.”

Granted, in comparison with Steve Rogers, nobody looks good. But if John had exhibited a shred of humility or nobility at any point along his character’s stunted arc, his story could have seemed tragic, instead of simply inevitable and annoying.

And then there’s Karli, who seems designed to fill that exact role: a tragic character whose villainous turn could have been avoided. She’s a refugee–though she seems to bristle at the term–who fights for the common people–or so we’ve been told. But that’s the issue: These are all things we’ve been told about Karli, but haven’t actually seen.

Given WandaVision’s limited perspective within the town of Westview, 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home remains the only real glimpse we’ve had at the MCU world post-Thanos. And as far as we could tell based on that, the instantaneous murder of 50% of the world’s population and their subsequent, equally unexpected return five years later didn’t really have much of a negative effect on anything. Peter and his friends picked up where they left off in high school, excited to take a school trip to Europe, where everything is pretty much the same. In fact, the “blip” was mostly brought up for laughs in that movie.

Karli and her Flag Smashers say they want the world to go back to how it was. What the hell does that mean? The show has doled out vague nuggets about the world having fewer borders during that five-year stretch, but this is the first we’ve heard of it, and it’s never adequately explained. In Episode 4, the Flag Smashers delivered a list of demands, but we have no clue what those demands are. What is Karli fighting for? Why do the Flag Smashers have so many devotees–a digital army summoned with a smartphone app and international support from underground movements the world over? What do they actually want? It’s never clear, making it difficult to sympathize with Karli, and turning her into just another MCU villain to root against until she’s inevitably defeated.

In Episode 5, “Truth,” when Karli declared to Batroc that “the GRC vote isn’t going to happen,” I had to ask myself several questions: “What GRC vote? What’s the GRC again? Is the GRC a private corporation or a government body? Are they good or bad?” The show hasn’t done a good enough job setting any of this up, and thus, it’s hard to care. The struggles that people face in the MCU’s post-blip world, where half the global population disappeared and then returned five years later, are no doubt tremendous, but the problem is we’ve never actually seen them. Karli should have been a window into that world, but instead, she’s spent most of her time on-screen making vague declarations, fighting the heroes, and blowing up buildings full of people.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier has done a lot right, especially where Sam and Bucky are concerned. It’s effectively brought up complex issues like race and poverty that allow these former side characters to finally expand and breathe, while still feeling like the MCU. But like many other entries in this cinematic universe, its villains have fallen flat. Maybe this will all turn around in the show’s finale, but I doubt it.

Check out our complete Resident Evil timeline explained here: https://youtu.be/QkPgowr-T9g​

We’re only a few weeks away from the release of Resident Evil Village, but we still can’t seem to stop talking about the internet’s most notoriously tall vampire woman: Lady Alcina Dimitrescu. We’re all still very thirsty to know as much as possible about her, and thanks to the recent RE Village showcase we have a little more information on the tall lady–just enough to hold us over.

In the above video, Kurt Indovina fulfills everyone’s stalkier desires, and uncovers everything we know so far about the Romanian vampire, Lady Dimitrescu. Kurt goes over her obvious height, being a vampire, and art director Tomonori Takano’s inspirations, which include Morticia Adams and Hungarian noblewoman/serial killer Elizabeth Báthory. Carrying over from Resident Evil 7, there’s a returning motif of antagonistic family. Dimitrescu mentions Mother Miranda, her daughters, and a brother named Heisenberg.

Resident Evil Village is very much a continuation of the previous installment, carrying over RE7’s first-person view and protagonist Ethan Winters, while taking direct inspiration from Resident Evil 4’s more gothic,and European influence. Still, there are many questions left unanswered, like whether or not Dimitrescu is actually the main antagonist, and why is Ethan’s child so important?

Hopefully our dreams will be made true on May 7.

From panel technology to refresh rates, there are a lot of things to consider when looking for a new gaming monitor. To aid you on your journey for the perfect setup, we’re breaking down two of the most common display technology terms: LED and LCD. Here’s what you need to know about LED and LCD screens, what the terms stand for, and how they factor into modern gaming monitors.

What is LCD and how does it work?

LCD stands for liquid-crystal display, which refers to how the monitor works. Behind the screen, liquid crystals are sandwiched between two layers of glass and used to change the colors of pixels to create the images that you see. The whole process is a lot more complicated, but that’s the gist of how LCDs function.

In the past, some LCDs were backlit by CCFLs (cold-cathode fluorescent lamps). LCDs with fluorescent backlighting have been around longer, so if you can find one, they will be cheaper than LED monitors. However, if you’re a gamer looking for decent refresh rates and response times, it’s going to be hard to find a monitor with fluorescent backlighting. They’ve almost completely been replaced by LCD monitors with LED backlights.

PROS OF LCD*

• None: You probably won’t find a decent gaming monitor with fluorescent backlighting at this time.

CONS OF LCD*

• Scarcity
• Uses more power
• Contains mercury, so contributes to pollution at the end of its lifecycle
• Lower contrast in graphics

*with fluorescent backlighting

What is LED and how does it work?

LEDs work in a similar way; in fact, you can consider LEDs a subcategory of LCDs. The only difference between some LCDs and LEDs is the type of backlighting: LEDs use LED (light-emitting diodes) backlighting.

In contrast to fluorescent backlighting, LED backlighting generally provides brighter colors and sharper contrast. The monitors are also thinner in size and, in the long run, more energy efficient than LCDs with fluorescent backlights. LED backlighting is the newer technology and the current standard for monitors with high refresh rates and fast response times. When you see LCD in product descriptions, they’re almost always LCD monitors that use LED (as opposed to fluorescent) backlighting. For example, BenQ’s EL2870U monitor is listed as an LCD, but it’s an LCD with LED backlighting.

There are different types of LED backlighting: edge-lit and array-lit. In edge-lit monitors, the lights are placed around the edges of the monitor. Light guides are then used to diffuse the light evenly across the screen. In array-lit monitors, lights are placed behind the screen in a pattern.

The tricky thing, however, is that it’s pretty much impossible to tell what type of backlight and how many backlights a monitor has based on a typical product description. Some manufacturers will share that info, but generally they won’t unless the backlight setup is a premium feature you’re paying for.

For example, some edge-lit and array-lit LEDs have local dimming capabilities, a feature that can selectively dim certain zones of LED lights. Local dimming improves contrast ratio and provides deeper blacks in dimly lit scenes. These monitors, however, tend to be pricey. Some well-reviewed options include the Samsung Odyssey G7 and Philips Momentum 436M6VBPAB, both of which are edge-lit monitors with partial local dimming capabilities. The Acer Predator X35 is an (expensive) full-array monitor with full local dimming (FALD) capabilities.

PROS OF LED

• Ubiquitously available: Modern gaming monitors will generally be LED.
• No mercury, so easier to recycle
• Better color contrast and thinner monitor size
• More energy efficient than monitors with fluorescent backlights

CONS OF LED

• …None, until the next, better display technology becomes more widely available

So which is better for gaming: LED or LCD?

You won’t have much of a choice between LED or LCD. Most monitors, regardless of whether they’re marked as LED or LCD, will use LED backlights. LED backlights became the new standard because they allow manufacturers to make thinner, more energy-efficient monitors with better graphics. It’s not worth going out of your way to find an LCD with fluorescent backlighting, unless you really, really hate LED lights.

Which backlights a monitor has isn’t as important as other factors such as panel technology, refresh rates and response time, G-Sync vs. FreeSync, and HDR –those are the characteristics you should pay more attention to when choosing a monitor. If you’re not looking to break the bank, a couple of great LED monitors at excellent price points we can recommend are the Asus VP249QGR, a nice budget 1080p monitor, and Acer XF250Q Cbmiiprx 24.5, a well-reviewed budget 240Hz monitor.

Check out our guide to the best cheap gaming monitors for more budget options; plus, see our picks for the best monitors for PS5 and Xbox Series X, best 144Hz monitors, and the best 4K gaming monitors for more LED displays worth picking up.

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On the heels of the recently released Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, writer-actor team Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo are currently writing an untitled, live-action musical comedy about Cinderella’s evil stepsisters. News of the project and the pair’s involvement was first reported by Deadline, who is also indicating that due to the movie’s early stage, it’s not yet known whether Wiig and Mumolo will also be starring in the film.

Together, Wiig and Mumolo made a huge impact in writing the 2011 comedy Bridesmaids. While Wiig is likely best known for her time as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, since leaving the sketch and variety show in 2012, she has gone on to prove herself as a multifaceted performer–ranging from Barbara Minerva/Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984 and the moody 2014 drama The Skeleton Twins to the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters.

Mumolo has appeared in Judd Apatow’s This Is Forty, Bad Moms, The Boss, and also had a recurring role on Amazon’s Transparent. She and Wiig have been friends for decades, dating back to their meeting at the Los Angeles improv group The Groundlings in the early 2000s.

Will Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum are producing the movie via Gloria Sanchez Productions.

In related news, later this year Netflix is expected to release a stop-motion musical reimagining of Pinocchio, directed by Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water, Hellboy). That movie’s cast includes Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, and Cate Blanchett. Disney itself is developing a live-action version of Pinocchio as well, which recently added Welsh actor Luke Evans, who is set to play the villain.

Image credit: Getty Images/Todd Williamson/NBC