Most conspiracy theories have some sort of basis in historical fact. The CIA really did have a mind-control program. The FBI knew more about Lee Harvey Oswald than it let on to the Warren Commission. The planes that smuggled guns into Nicaragua were also smuggling drugs out of Nicaragua. We frequently uncover secrets about the U.S. government that make the wilder conspiracy theories sound more plausible.

But it is hard to draw a line from the U.S. government's coronavirus response to the conspiracy theories circulating about that response. Conspiracists believe the pandemic, or "plannedemic," is a coordinated effort to hold American citizens hostage and institute martial law. They warn that sheltering-in-place and social distancing are not temporary measures but instead will become the new normal. The government will require us to receive some sort of "digital tattoo" or microchip implant before we are allowed to leave our homes and go back to work. And eventually, the conspiracists claim, there will be a mandatory rollout of tainted vaccines concocted by the same mysterious forces that concocted the "COVID-1984" virus: vaccines that will render us infertile, docile, or dead.

How does this square with the federal government's documented actions? If anything, the government has been guilty of downplaying the threat posed by the virus, not exaggerating it. They have demonstrated a grievous lack of planning for this supposed "plannedemic." And rather than attempting to parlay the temporary economic lockdown into something more permanent, the president is eager to end it as soon as possible, so the stock market can go up and unemployment can go down in time for his re-election. When protesters around the country demanded that the economy reopen, Trump didn't call them enemies of the state; he celebrated them. If the Trump administration's secret goal is to provoke mass hysteria, shut down the economy permanently, and cancel democracy, it is not doing a good job.

There are other narratives being spun about the coronavirus which at least have greater internal logic. Small-government conservatives at outlets like The National Review and the Wall Street Journal argue that, yes, the federal government's response has been weak and this is a good thing. They champion what corporations, nonprofits, and state and local governments are doing to combat the virus. Where conspiracists see the ascendance of tyranny, many conservatives see a vindication of capitalism and federalism.

Meanwhile, traditional nationalists like Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley, and Steve Bannon see the pandemic as a chance to vilify China and the World Health Organization. They call for greater national autonomy and stronger border control, which have indeed been the clearest aspects of the White House's coronavirus response. Conspiracists, however, are less interested in vilifying China, which they see as a pawn in a greater scheme. They frequently claim the pandemic is a hoax, in which case border control would be irrelevant.

There are at least two explanations for this dissonance between the conspiracist imagination and the federal government's actual policies. One is that we may be witnessing the decline of "fusion paranoia" and the repolarization of conspiracy theories, so that conspiracists no longer denounce the government per se. Another is that the real source of conspiracist angst isn't the government, but rather the citizens who are willingly giving up their freedom.

The term "fusion paranoia" was first coined by journalist Michael Kelley in 1995, as the conspiracy theory movement was becoming an increasingly baroque fusion of the left- and right-wing fringes. This was a distinct break from the Cold War, when conspiracy theories were more ideologically contained. Right-wing conspiracists focused on the threat of communism, while left-wing conspiracists focused on the anticommunist right.

These Cold War conspiracists did not fear the government itself, but rather cabals working to subvert the government. Conservatives defended the State Department while they decried the communists who had infiltrated it. Liberals castigated the military-industrial complex while they propped up John F. Kennedy as a martyr, ignoring his record as a foreign-policy hawk. The big revelation in the Watergate-era thriller Three Days of the Condor wasn't that the CIA was crooked; it was that there was "another CIA in the CIA."

With the fall of the Soviet Union, ideological battle lines blurred. Alex Jones became an Austin counterculture darling, while Gore Vidal wrote a glowing Vanity Fair profile of fellow anti-imperialist Timothy McVeigh. White nationalists co-opted black nationalist accounts of the crack epidemic; religious skeptics cribbed from fundamentalist Christian tracts claiming barcodes were the sign of the Beast; self-identified liberals counted the Clintons' murder victims, while conservatives parsed through George H. W. Bush's 1990 speech proclaiming a "new world order."

Conspiracism was no longer tethered to any partisan ideology, no longer caught up in the cat-and-mouse game of communist vs. anticommunist. As Kathryn Olmsted explains in her history of conspiracy theories, the postCold War left and right "found a common enemy to fight in their defense of the republic: their own government."

But the election of Donald Trump may have repolarized our paranoia. Jones, who was no more a fan of George W. Bush than he was of Barack Obama, firmly believes Trump is on his side. When he lists the members of the plot to weaponize the coronavirus, he includes the "blue cities" and "blue states," Hollywood and the mainstream media, the universities, the medical industry, communist China but he leaves out the Trump administration.

Rather than blaming the U.S. government for unleashing the virus and shutting down the economy, right-wing conspiracists blame "the globalists" working inside and outside the government. Ben Garrison, the "alt-right's favorite cartoonist," portrays Trump in the backseat of a car, asking, "Are we there yet?" (i.e., when can the economy restart); sitting up front are his public-health advisers Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, who syly grin and respond, "In a few more months!... Maybe." Like Oliver Stone's JFK, Trump is trying his best but is undermined by sinister forces outside his control.

Bill Gates looms oddly large in these paranoid narratives Jones and Roger Stone believe the Gates Foundation manufactured the coronavirus, and in Garrison's cartoon Birx is wearing a Gates Foundation button. Another Garrison cartoon has Bill Gates (looking rather like a Protocols-esque Jewish caricature) unrolling a scroll that lays out his coronavirus plot: Stage 1 is "fear," Stage 3 is "shutdown and social distancing," Stage 5 is "martial law and checkpoints," and the last stage ("Stage 666") is the "mandatory vaccine rollout."

Gates is singled out not just because of his enormously wealthy foundation that has spent hundreds of millions on fighting the virus, but also because of his history as a software developer. Conspiracists frequently tie the "plannedemic" to the allure of new technology, from 5G mobile networks to VR headsets, because they fear that the seductiveness of technology is the New World Order's model for controlling all aspects of life. The globalists "seduced and beguiled everyone," Jones claims, with an "extended spring break" and "nice big juicy checks." The endgame is for everyone to be "put into our little bubbles, our little pods," where you have to get permission from an app to leave your home conveniently enabled by Microsoft, Apple, and other tech companies.

Conspiracists fear this plot will succeed if American citizens let themselves be manipulated. Jones calls our efforts to flatten the curve staying inside, washing our hands, wearing masks, meeting people on Zoom, keeping six feet from each other at the grocery store "little rituals" of "submission," and we must stop performing them if we want to be free. Popular podcast host Joe Rogan
, who is less of a conspiracy theorist but is certainly conspiracy-curious, laments that "people are willing to give up certain civil liberties if they think they can get more safety." And while he concedes this is necessary for the time being, he asks, "what if it just sorta stays that way?" What is the price of our submission?

Jones explains the choice Americans face with a bizarre, violent, lowkey-racist allegory: imagine you stop at the grocery store "on your way back home from church on a Wednesday night," and as you return to your car, a couple of "thugs pull knives on you" and ask for "everything you got" and start coming on to your wife. Jones says you can let the thugs tie you up and take you to your house, where they'll get the codes to your safe, violate your wife, and "kill you while you cry." Or, Jones posits, you can "explode" in the grocery-store parking lot, "rip the knife out the guy's hand, and stab it right into his throat." This is analogous to our current situation, he insists, with the globalists standing in for the thugs: "You are under lockdown, you're under martial law. And it's just gonna get worse the more you submit to it."

Conspiracists are drawn to this fantasy of domination and submission because they refuse to accept that people are willingly surrendering their individual autonomy for the common good. Americans are looking out for each other, staying home even when they're not especially at risk, and calling on the government to take care of their basic needs. No one is drawing a knife on us.

This is too much for the conspiracist to bear. Their libertarian worldview is seemingly repudiated by the fact that, when faced with such a serious crisis, Americans are, by and large, not behaving like libertarians. It is easier for conspiracists to believe the pandemic is a globalist plot to brainwash us than to believe that Americans will give up certain freedoms with little if any pressure from any government or cabal that a little bit of peer pressure and genuine selflessness is all it takes. Behind the fear of a conspiracy, behind the fear that citizens will be easily duped, is a greater fear: that no conspiracy is necessary.

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The anatomy of a coronavirus conspiracy theory - The Week

To an outsider, Greys Anatomy is simply an ensemble medical drama about the lives and loves of (good-looking) doctors and surgeons at a prominent Seattle hospital told through the lens of surgeon Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) as she rises in the ranks from intern to resident to attending. Real fans, however, know that Greys Anatomy is actually an emotional torture device overseen by the brilliant and sadistic Shonda Rhimes, an agonizing exercise in grief and loss delivered in weekly installments.

Greys Anatomy is about what makes us human: our blood, tissue, and bone, as well as our hearts, souls, and minds. Its about creating characters that feel so real, you cant help but come to care about them, and then either killing them, everything they love, or both. Greys Anatomy is nothing short of evila scourge, a blight upon our souls. So, obviously, its a massive hit that has been running for a decade and a half, attracted a wide and loyal fanbase, and made everyone involved insanely rich. It even spawned two spin-off series, Private Practice and Station 19.

Ranking all the seasons is sort of an impossible undertaking, since the dynamics and cast are always shifting. Heck, the name of the hospital changed from Seattle Grace to Seattle Grace Mercy West to Grey Sloan Memorial. Theres an argument to be made that everything before Derek and Meredith get together for good is one show about falling in love with your married boss, everything during their marriage is another show, and everything post-Derek is a third still-unclear premise for the series. And depending on a viewers loyaltiesto a particular character or relationshipeveryone has their own idea of when the show was at its best and worst.

With all that in mind, this is an attempt to corral the many, many, OH SO MANY, hours of Greys Anatomy into a ranking based on which plot lines felt the most random, forced, or arbitrary versus the ones that we simply couldnt look away from. From worst to best...

I have zero medical training, but this season made me scared for all of the hospitals patients. What the hell are the doctors doing? Practicing medicine on each other just to be cool, getting hyper-competitive over surgery assignments, going out of their specialties to shake things up and try to boost their rating? This is the season that the ceiling collapses on someone in the middle of surgery. Sorry, but I cant invest in any of the personal stuff unless Im also confident that the sick people are receiving at least competent care.

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Every Season of Grey's Anatomy, Ranked - Glamour

Hi. My name is Sam Hargrave, director of Extraction. So at this point, were in the middle of what we would term a oner. Its a long continuous shot that we came up with, a way to do that kind of a unique chase scene. And were escaping with Chris Hemsworth, who plays Tyler Rake, and Rudhraksh Jaiswal who plays that Ovi. Alright, kid, you trust me? No. Good. This jump and at that moment, we had a stitch. So we could infuse our actors into the action and then use the doubles for the dangerous part. And for that jump, I was actually on a wire leaping behind our stunt doubles. And coming down those stairs, thats me running backwards with a camera, trying to keep our actors in frame, keep up with their speed, not fall on my butt. We work our way through this whole series of hallways. And when we enter this room, we actually, on that door kick, we moved to another location. So thats a different day of shooting, different time. Stay on my shoulder, all right? And this fight here, weve got Randeep Hooda and Chris Hemsworth going at it. They spent weeks rehearsing together. Because the beauty of this is it looks sloppy. It looks like theyre struggling for their lives. And it looks messy. But that comes from hours of rehearsal so they could put the acting into this. So again, here, we build in a hidden cut where we can put the doubles in. And as you see, the camera goes down with them. Again, thats me on a wire, jumping over a balcony, and gliding down with them. And for that, we kind of set that all up. We built the balcony. It didnt exist. We parked the truck in the right place. And the stunt team rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed to get the timing of that right and the distancing. And it was really challenging to kind of keep both actors in frame for that fall just because the nature of the jump. I mean, Im on a wire, trying to jump with a camera, keep them in frame. And then when we land in the streets, what we thought would be really fun was to have the actors interacting with the environment, the vehicles passing by. This is just a day in the life of for these people. But these guys are locked in a life and death struggle with knives. And yet, life goes on. You know, this is busy street. People are watching like theyve gone to the cinema. And you know, again, this hours of rehearsal with these two actors so that we could have the intensity that we needed. And then a little shock value here. [GRUNTING] [CAR SCREECHES] The thing that was interesting about this moment is, and what we tried to do to make kind of a unique perspective, was do what people arent expecting, which you take out your hero. Just take him out of the fight. And then focus on the bad guy. And we just thought it was fun, a different way to kind of follow action was to leave your hero out of it. So youre thinking, wait, what happened to Rake? Is he going to come back? And you know, leave people wanting more.

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'Extraction' | Anatomy of a Scene - The New York Times

Did you go to bed kinda giddy about the Dallas Cowboys taking CeeDee Lamb with pick 17 of the NFL Draft? Did you check when you woke up to make sure you didnt just dream it? The general reaction to his selection has been overwhelmingly positive. And it should. The Cowboys had him as the sixth-highest ranked player overall in the draft. They are hardly alone, as many outside draftniks saw him much the same, with most having him as WR1. It really shouldnt have happened. So just how did this come about?

The Cowboys sticking to their own board when no one really believed such a defense-hungry team would take a wide receiver played a huge part, but it could never have happened if the sixteen teams ahead of them had not made the decisions they did. Some were good, even great picks. Others, well, not so much. Here is a look at all of the preceding selections and how they all combined to help land one of the most exciting picks for Dallas since perhaps Dez Bryant.

First, lets set the table with a look at the overall talent distribution at the top of the draft. These are the first 65 names, ranked in order, from our own Connor Livesays draft guide.

Now, there are different views of things depending on where you look. But Connor is hardly the only one to have Lamb ranked so highly.

So both the Cowboys and Bob Sturm saw it the same way. Ill take that as validation that Connor knows what he is talking about.

Now, heres how the draft played out, and right into the Cowboys hands.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, knew they were looking for defense. The big targets in the minds of most prognosticators were CB C.J. Henderson and EDGE KLavon Chaisson. S Xavier McKinney, CB A.J. Terrell, and LB Kenneth Murray were also mentioned frequently.

Pretty much a no-brainer. Burrow may not have been the very top talent from a general view, but he was QB1 for most, and the Bengals really needed one of those.

It is hard to get used to our beloved rivals making a smart decision. They snagged the consensus best player in the draft, at a position of need, and now we get to see him twice a year. Thanks for nothing.

We can only take comfort in Washington having six more rounds to screw up. This one was basically too foolproof even for Dan Snyder.

The Lions went with their biggest perceived need to take a consensus top 5 player at one of the money positions. Hard to fault them for that.

So far, things had played out pretty much according to expectations. Many had thought that the first round would see a lot of trades with the unusual circumstances forced by the pandemic. Ultimately, there would be only one of those before the Cowboys went on the clock, and that was just a position swap between Tampa Bay and the 49ers, probably to keep another team from poaching someone the Bucs liked.

And then with the next pick, the first questionable decision rears its head.

Its definitely the right idea to get help for Saquon Barkley, who the Giants center their offense around, and more protection for Daniel Jones as they seek to grow him into a franchise QB, but almost all observers felt that Thomas was not the best O lineman available. Connor had him fourth among all OL, and third of the tackles. It is not a horrible pick. But making a bit of a reach means very attractive options would be there for other teams before Dallas got on the clock, and more OL meant fewer WRs taken. That was rather important.

Everyone knew the Dolphins were going for a QB, and they got him without having to trade up, so great for them. What mattered for the Cowboys was this was another QB taken that pushed other players down to them.

Same thing for Herbert and the Chargers. He was seen as a bit of a reach, but when you dont have a starting QB anymore, you have to take some risks.

Prior to the draft, having Brown slide to Dallas was a dream scenario for some. But the Panthers quickly snuffed that out to take a player that is seen as perhaps the best interior DL drafted since Aaron Donald.

Simmons is an interesting player, because a lot of people arent sure exactly what his real role will be in the NFL. He is a freakishly good athlete, but it is going to take proper use to make him a star. A definite top 10 pick for most, he certainly didnt hurt the Cowboys by going here.

This was the first selection that really felt a bit painful. The odds of him making it to 17 were always a bit iffy, but there was still hope. However, there is an argument to be made that the Jags over-drafted him a bit. That is always a good thing for a team wanting talent to get pushed down to them.

Another offensive lineman taken ahead of the Cowboys was all good. The Browns were helped by the Giants here as well.

More good news for the Cowboys. Chaisson is still available at this point, and things are getting close with only five more picks before Dallas gets a crack at things.

This one was a bit of a surprise, because Ruggs was not only not the best wide receiver available, according to many, he wasnt even the best one from Bama. Still, it kept the hopes for Chaisson to Dallas alive, and was thought to be the start of a run on WRs that would continue moving things in the right direction.

The first selection of the Tom Brady era in Tampa Bay was to protect the new and not exactly agile quarterback. Good value and definitely filled a need.

So far, things have gone well for the Cowboys, especially with three QBs and four OL taken. Those were the kinds of runs that the team needed to get a shot at Chaisson.

It is worth mentioning that, while Chaisson was widely seen as the guy Dallas hoped to get, the enthusiasm among the fanbase for him was not overwhelming. He was good, and the right value for 17. He just wasnt, you know, an automatic star.

Suddenly, things got very interesting, because the Niners were believed to be in the market for a wide receiver - and the two best in the draft, CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy, were both still available. With Chaisson also still out there, the Cowboys not only had what was widely perceived to be their main target tantalizingly close, but now #Team40Burger began to stir.

And sitting just in front of the Cowboys at 16, the Atlanta Falcons were also thought to be considering Chaisson. What would Jerry Jones and his staff do? The tension in Cowboys Nation was palpable.

There have been reports that the Philadelphia Eagles were looking into a trade to get ahead of the Cowboys because they really, really wanted to get Lamb, but the price was too steep for their liking. You have to wonder if they want a do-over.

This amped things up even more for Cowboys fans. While Jeudy was also a top 10 talent on many boards, he was also seen by most as WR2 behind Lamb. #Team40Burger stood up and stretched to its full height.

Now Atlanta was on the clock. Would they snatch Chaisson? And did that even matter anymore if Lamb was still available?

The Falcons have serious issues in their secondary, and all indications are that they made a bit of a reach. Terrell was seen as a trade back option, or even the pick at 17 if things were washed for the Cowboys. The Falcons, instead of breaking our hearts, injected massive excitement.

The Cowboys had their expected target AND a completely unforeseen consensus top 10 offensive weapon available. But the big question remained: Would they go with need, or go with the best player still out there? In recent years, the team had apparently leaned towards filling that need. Now, Jason Garrett and Rod Marinelli are no longer with the Cowboys, and Mike McCarthy has spoken repeatedly about the desire to go after the most talented player whenever possible. Jerry Jones revealed that trade backs were on the table for Dallas as well. With so much need on defense, it might have been tempting.

#Team40Burger began to howl as the clock ran.

A mighty roar of triumph from #Team40Burger accompanied the announcement. After several years of either grudging acceptance or outright dis
approval, we had a player that created real adrenaline.

Only time will tell, of course, but this has the potential to be a true home run of a pick. Matched up with Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, Ezekiel Elliott, Blake Jarwin, and Tony Pollard, Lamb could elevate the Cowboys to truly elite levels among NFL offenses. Great credit is due to the Dallas staff for sticking with their board and making this decision.

And it all could never have happened if sixteen teams had not all felt they needed to go in a different direction. A few questionable decisions along the way turned into draft gold for the Cowboys.

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Anatomy of a steal: How CeeDee Lamb was gifted to the Dallas Cowboys - Blogging The Boys

While Wade Wilson might be many things, Deadpool is not really one to keep a secret. With his motor-mouth, Deadpool has joked endlessly about a wide range of topics, including his own body and the numerous traumas he's put it through,

On his adventures as a mercenary and during his more heroic stints with X-Force, Deadpool has suffered and healed from virtually every injury in the book. And as the decades have gone on, his body has just kept getting weirder and weirder. Now, we're taking a closer look at Deadpool's body, which has evolved into one of the most unique bodies in the Marvel Universe.

RELATED:Deadpool: Every Time Marvel (Almost) Killed Wade Wilson

Though he's often associated with the band of mutant superheroes the X-Men, it's important to keep in mind when dealing with Deadpool that is not technically a mutant himself. I The origin to Deadpool's powers date back to the hazy days of his service with the Canadian special services. Though he did not have any superpowers, his unusually sharp skills as an expert assassin made him a favorite among the upper brass despite his obedience issues. When he was diagnosed with a deadly form of cancer, he proved eligible for a highly experimental procedure.

With Department K drawing from the research conducted by the Weapon X Program, the government managed to extract and replicate Wolverine's healing factor and place it into Deadpool. The result was that he developed his miraculous healing abilities that would kick off his career as a costumed adventurer. This means that Deadpool is a mutate and not technically a mutant, but he's sometimes identified as one because of the DNA he shares with Wolverine.

The healing factor that Deadpool inherited is oftentimes portrayed as being even better than Logan's own considerable abilities. While both Wolverine and Deadpool's healing factors can be inconsistent over the years -- with both going from recovering from atomic explosions without much trouble to being taken down by machine gun fire at other times -- there's really no doubting that the ceiling of Deadpool's healing factor is much higher than Wolverine's mutant power.

Without any special upgrades, Deadpool has had his entire body reduced to ash and still recovered. Perhaps even more notable is that his recovery seemed to begin immediately, with his consciousness forming thoughts even before the ash itself coalesced back into a body. The cartoonish extents to which Deadpool's body has suffered violence and still came back may be tied in with his complicated relationship with the embodiment of Death, but there's no doubting it makes for some strange showings.

RELATED:X-Men Anatomy: The 5 Weirdest Things About Juggernaut's Body, Explained

The history between Deadpool and Cable goes all the way back to Wade's creation in New Mutants #98, by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza. Even after the two stopped trying to kill each other, Cable's self-serious and dramatic nature makes him the proverbial straight man to Deadpool's wacky antics. While this exceptionally odd couple might not seem like they have much in common, the pair found themselves fused together during a teleportation accident near the beginning of 2004's Cable and Deadpool.

With their atoms connected on a quantum level, there was a repeated problem the two experienced with their separate teleportation devices where whenever one activated the device the two would teleport to the same location. No matter how far apart they were, they would always be yanked back together whenever they teleported, and sometimes they'd be put back together quite literally. Cable's own hardy constitution helped him survive their particularly close encounters, but for Deadpool, it meant practically ripping himself in half and growing huge chunks of himself back.

Although the pair were eventually untangled, Deadpool also found himself fused with another one of Marvel's zaniest characters, Madcap, a few years later.

That strange body of Deadpool's has an even stranger mind, and that has helped him out on more than one occasion. It turns out that the constant deluge of pop culture references. inane dialogue and self-aware addresses to readers aren't just an affectation, but they're the result of his totally unique mind, which is in a somewhat constant state of flux to the point that his brain is completely indecipherable to telepaths.

Occasionally, this condition has been attributed to Deadpool's healing factor, which keeps his brain's neurons regrowing and firing off and burning out such a frenetic pace that it's impossible to form a coherent consciousness from the mess. The unique nature of his mind may also have something to do with his brief exposure to the foundation of reality in Cullen Bunn, Matteo Lolli and Matteo Buffagni's Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars #4, the event that made him self-aware in the first palce.

RELATED: How Was Deadpool Every Worthy of Thor's Hammer?

Deadpool has a habit of turning his flaws into strengths, and the unique nature of his mind isn't the only example. The same cancer that necessitated his involvement int the Weapon X Program was never actually cured by the development of Wade's healing factor. Instead, the cancer itself was fueled by the same healing factor even as it killed him. His healthy cells were unable to die from the cancer-killing him, and the cancer was unable to die from the healing factor. The result is that his body condensed into a grotesque walking tumor.

While this unique set of circumstances caused Deadpool's looks and makes his body give off a repugnant odor, there are some upsides to his current condition. One of them is that Deadpool's blood is poisonous to vampires like Dracula, who are utterly repulsed by it. It also means that any attempts to copy Deadpool's powers go awry, as the alien Skrulls learned when they tried to make an army with Deadpool's healing factor without factoring in the role his cancer plays. The result was a shambling mess of an army utterly useless to the alien empire, which gave Deadpool the last laugh yet again.

NEXT: Did Deadpool Ever Break the Fourth Wall When He Was a Villain?

Super Saiyan 4: Dragon Ball's Most Controversial Final Form, Explained

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X-Men Anatomy: The 5 Weirdest Things About Deadpool's Body | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources

Grey's Anatomy may have reunited Alex (Justin Chambers) and Izzie (Katherine Heigl) off-screen, but could they actually stage a return to the series down the line?

The showrunner of the series was asked that question in a recent interview with Deadline following the impromptu sixteenth season finale.

In a wild twist of fate, Alex left Jo behind in Seattle and reunited with his former love Izzie, and they are living on a farm in Kansas, where they are raising their children.

Given that Heigl was not on the best of terms with Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes when she exited the series, many fans thought a return would be out of the question.

But for current showrunner, Krista Vernoff, she thinks it would not be impossible.

"When I left the show in season 7, people asked me if there was any chance of me ever coming back, and I was smart enough to say, 'Never say never'," she told Deadline. "Here I am, so who knows?"

While it seems unlikely to ever happen, at least fans can take solace in the fact that Alex and Izzie got a happy ending.

It wasn't enough for some fans, but it was a way to say goodbye to the characters amid Justin Chambers' exit from the series.

Grey's Anatomy has a track record of killing off beloved characters, so at least Alex and Izzie are still living.

That means the possibility is always there for them to return in some capacity, but given that all signs are pointing towads Grey's Anatomy Season 17 being the last-ever season, it seems unlikely for now.

Grey's Anatomy recently wrapped its 16th season with four episodes unproduced, but the impromptu finale worked well in bringing the show to a close ... for now.

ABC has already ordered up Grey's Anatomy Season 17, but one star has said he is "confident" it will be the show's last hurrah.

Whether that will be the case, we don't know.

What do you think of the potential returns of Alex and Izzie?

Hit the comments below.

Remember you can watch Grey's Anatomy online right here via TV Fanatic.

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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.

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Grey's Anatomy Showrunner Reveals Whether Alex and Izzie Could Return - TV Fanatic

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Its been a few weeks since Greys Anatomy season 16 ended, but fans are desperately trying to figure out what would have happened if the season got the last few episodes it was supposed to. One wild theory going around involves Jackson Avery, and fans on Reddit think that if the season had gone on as planned, he actually would have died.

Greys ended its season on episode 21. It was supposed to have 25 episodes total. Obviously, the writers have been weaving the Greys and Station 19 storylines together lately, so the new Station 19 episodes hold some clues for what would have happened in those last four episodes of Greys. The synopsis for an upcoming Station 19 episode says, Ben, Jackson and Emmett are put in a precarious and dangerous position with a potential victim.

Doesnt seem like anything that would cause alarm, right? But someone on Reddit wrote this: According to press release for episode 15 for Station 19, Jackson along with Ben and the newbie are put in a dangerous position. I think thats a given that Jackson would have been the one to die.

Okay, Im not sure that its a given, and I dont totally get the leap between Jackson being in a dangerous position and him straight-up dying (unless the internet knows something I dont), but other people on the Reddit thread agreed. That theory makes a lot of sense, one commenter wrote. Also, his character pretty much peaked and died when Sarah Drew left the show.

And even if youre not totally sold on the Station 19 connection, people were saying Jackson was toast before that episode info dropped. On a different Reddit thread totally unrelated to that, fans wrote they think Jackson will be the next to go. So, um, I guess if you see Jackson die early in the next season of Greys, you heard it here first.

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Okay, Theres a Greys Anatomy Theory Going Around Saying Jackson Might Die - Cosmopolitan

Although Richard seemed to be physically recovering in the finale of Grey's Anatomy, his marriage to Catherine remains as broken as ever. Ever since he was fired from Grey-Sloan, their relationship hasn't been the same since. The couple even announced they were separating after Catherine maliciously bought and closed down the hospital he worked at to spite him.

RELATED:Grey's Anatomy: Why Miranda & Richard Aren't True Friends

Fans feel that Webber deserves better, especially since the urologist is continuously trying to undermine and control his career at every turn. But who would be a more suitable match for the Chief? From Carol Shepherd to Gemma Larson, here are 10 people Richard should have ended up with instead of Catherine.

If Addison was just a little bit older or Richard a little bit younger, these two would have been a cute couple. As many fans know, Webber always had a soft spot for Addison. He was the first person to let her know where Derek was and updated her about Meredith.

Addison and Webber also forged a friendship in the aftermath of his split with Adele, where the OB/GYN helped to get his life on track. If the writers didn't go down the mentor-mentee route, they could have found comfort in each other.

Another person Richard could have been matched with was Owen's mother, Evelyn. Although Evelyn has only appeared in 9 episodes, fans have learned a lot about her life. They know that she served in the Vietnam War and had been a scrub nurse at some point in her life.

RELATED:Grey's Anatomy: Why Richard & Arizona Aren't Real Friends

She also revealed that their family had lived five miles from Grey-Sloan, meaning she could have run into Richard at some point. Since Richard has been looking for something to fill the void Adele left, maybe he could have met Evelyn in the writing class instead of John.

How funny would it be if Richard and Carolyn got together in the early stages of the show? Do the writers not realize what comedy gold they could have had if Derek found out Webber was dating his mother? Now that the idea is planted, here are a couple of reasons why these two should have been matched.

For one, they both understand what it's like to lose someone they truly loved. Two, Carolyn was also a navy nurse for 25 years so she would have understood the pressures of the job. Three, they deserve their own happiness after spending years putting other people's needs ahead of their own.

Although Marie and Webber never shared any screen time, it was clear from his discussions with Meredith that he knew her. In fact, they came across each other more than once since she was Ellis Grey's best friend. While Ellis' journals suggest Marie thought Richard was a distraction from work, what if Marie's vendetta was for a different reason.

RELATED:Grey's Anatomy: 10 Of Richard Webber's Best Quotes

Instead of an affair with Ellis, what if Richard and Cerone had fallen in love but their relationship ended when she left for Spain? Then, when she returned in season 14, the writers could have allowed them to reconnect. It could have made another epic romance.

Another woman the writers could have had as a romantic interest was Diane Pierce. As many fans know, Diane was Maggie's adoptive mother, who came to Seattle after she discovered she was terminally ill. While she was admitted to the hospital, Diane bonded instantly with Maggie's colleagues, including Richard.

Although they only shared a couple of scenes, fans could see there was a natural chemistry. She was a kind and charming person, bringing a smile to everyone's face. If she arrived years earlier and revealed he had a daughter, they could have raised her together.

With Catherine and Richard separation looking permanent, could his next love interest be Gemma? It's not as if a romance between them would be totally out of the blue since he and the accountant have already kissed. Fans have also noticed a spark between the two, especially since Gemma helped make his transition to Pac North easier.

RELATED:Grey's Anatomy: 10 Of The Worst Things Richard Webber Has Ever Done

It is important to note that Gemma and Richard have more things in common than he does with Catherine. She understands his demons because she is a recovering alcoholic. They had the same sponsor, meaning they share the same grief. Most importantly, Gemma doesn't disrespect his career or belittle him. There could be a future here...

Again, if Miranda was just a little bit older or Webber was younger, they would have made quite the couple. With the staff already calling them "work husband and wife," it's obvious that people feel like their partnership mimics a marriage. Even Adele at one point thought they were having an affair because she recognized they had chemistry.

Adele believed the two would go to the ends of the world for each other - and she was right. Despite all the squabbles and bickering, Richard and Bailey will always be there in the darkest of times. She is his "person."

Fans may not have contemplated it, but what if Richard had fallen in love with his sponsor, Olive? Out of all the people in Richard's life, Olive was his one constant figure. She was the one who supported him through his alcoholism the first time around.

RELATED:Grey's Anatomy: Most Heartbreaking Deaths, Ranked

She was also the one Richard called whenever he was going through a rough patch - talking at least three times a week. This romance could have been beneficial to Webber's character, especially since he always looked comfortable around her.

Although she is similar to Catherine, another person Richard could have ended up with was Ellis. Richard and Ellis were another iconic love, with the couple's romance starting when they were both in their residency. From her journals, Ellis stated it had been a passionate affair and that they were planning on starting a life together.

If Webber had known that she had been pregnant with Maggie, he would have followed her to Boston and helped raise Meredith. Even "If/Then" showed them to be happily married...

If there was one person Richard should have ended up with, it was Adele. Every fan knows that she was the love of his life. She was always seen as a kind and considerate woman. However, she was also seen to have a fiery attitude, which always came out when she thought someone was trying to double-cross her.

Although his affair and their brief separation deeply affected their marriage, Richard and Adele still managed to find their way back to one another. It's just a shame she got Alzheimer's and died because Webber hasn't been happy since.

NEXT:Grey's Anatomy: Top 10 Fan Favorite Characters, Ranked

NextHow I Met Your Mother: The Most Unnecessary Storylines

A writer, reader and tv fanatic, Kayleigh enjoys reading movie news and your film reviews. She has attained an Undergraduate degree in Creative Writing and is also the creator of the film and television blog 'The Critics' Corner'.

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Grey's Anatomy: 10 People Richard Should Have Ended Up With (Other Than Catherine) - Screen Rant

Lillian Hyslop. Photo: Facebook.

Wentworth Valley resident Heather Matthews believes her walking companion might still be alive if the RCMP or Nova Scotias Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) had issued a special alert early Sunday morning to stay inside. Instead, she says Wentworth resident Lillian Hyslop a 60 year old, community-minded person, and parent was gunned down during her daily walk by a killer who had already taken multiple victims and was the subject of a 10-hour manhunt.

If there is ever hopefully never a next time let people know, urges Matthews. Theres so many different reasons why we should be given an alert that could save lives. They give us the Amber alert, we get the COVID-19 alert twice over the Easter weekend?

Heather Matthews lives above the former Highway 104, known locally as The Four, that runs past the Wentworth Ski Hill north toward Oxford. She and her husband David were walking Sunday morning along a forested path parallel to the road when they heard what they described as a single gunshot. Heather estimates the time of the shooting at 9:20-9:30am because she had checked the clock before leaving home.

When the couple returned home, they had a phone call from a neighbour warning them to lock their doors and not go outside because there were reports a gunman was in the area. Heather Matthews immediately called Lillian Hyslops mother-in-law to tell her, but it was too late. Lillian had already left for her daily walk. She died near the entrance to the Wentworth Provincial Park.

I really believe if there had have been an alert sent out, some of these random people that were shot would not have been shot, Matthews told the Halifax Examiner. The people he had targeted, thats one thing. But these people he got just because they were there?

The women [employed by the VON] like Kristen Beaton and Heather OBrien who were out driving. Perhaps if they had been given warning, Matthews voice trailed off.

There are also questions in the community about whether Tom Bagley, 70, would have died if an alert had been issued over the cellphone network or the radio. Bagley was out for a walk when he saw a house burning on Hunter Road. Two people inside, Corrections Canada managers Sean McLeod and Alanna Jenkins, perished in the blaze. The Wentworth Fire Department was notified about the fire, but firefighters were instructed not to respond because the situation was too dangerous. Bagley didnt know that. The retired firefighter with the Canadian Armed Forces went to help and was shot and killed by the gunman.

At 9pm on Saturday night, the RCMP communications people were evidently in a good mood. They posted a fun tweet, which in hindsight is eerily sad:

Its Saturday and our #9PMROUTINE is complete! That means we get to relax for the evening and sleep in tomorrow. Are you done your #lockup? When you are, share this post! pic.twitter.com/WBfYWsUDNn

RCMP, Nova Scotia (@RCMPNS) April 19, 2020

An hour and a half later, at 10:26pm, RCMP officers responded to a possible shooting in Portapique, said RCMP Chief Superintendent Chris Leather at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

At about 11:08 pm, a first responder at Portapique reported that:

So theres a structure fire. Theres a person down there with a gun. Theyre still looking for him. The patient we have got shot by him. He was just down there observing the fire, checking out the fire, so there could be other patients around the fire that could be gone already, but were not sure. Police are stationed at the end of the road there on the 2, not letting anybody down any further but its very vague whats going on down there but there is for sure multiple patients down there.

So police knew there were multiple people shot and the gunman was on the loose, but at about 11:30pm, the RCMP tweeted only that there was a firearms complaint in the Portapique area.

#RCMPNS is responding to a firearms complaint in the #Portapique area. (Portapique Beach Rd, Bay Shore Rd and Five Houses Rd.) The public is asked to avoid the area and stay in their homes with doors locked at this time.

RCMP, Nova Scotia (@RCMPNS) April 19, 2020

Leather said that the search for the gunman continued into the evening and early morning hours on Sunday. In response to new information indicating the suspect was not in the secure perimeter [around Portapique], at 8:02am on Sunday, the RCMP began providing real-time information on its Nova Scotia RCMP Twitter account.

But the 8:02am tweet implied only that the shooter was in the Portapique area:

#RCMPNS remains on scene in #Portapique. This is an activeshooter situation. Residents in the area, stay inside your homes & lock yourdoors. Call 911 if there is anyone on your property. You may not see the policebut we are there with you #Portapique.

RCMP, Nova Scotia (@RCMPNS) April 19, 2020

The next tweet from the RCMP came at 8:54 AM, and it carried a photo of the suspect along with this message. The only hash-tagged location in the message was Portapique.

Around this time, there was the house fire on Hunter Road in Wentworth, over 40 kilometres from Portapique, where the two corrections officers Alanna Jenkins and Sean McLeod lived. Only later, on Monday, would the RCMP add their names to the list of the perpetrators victims, along with that of Tom Bagley, the 70-year-old neighbour and retired firefighter who went to the burning house to see if he could help, only to be shot and killed. And Lillian Hyslop was killed while walking along The Four.

At that point, there had been no mention in RCMP tweets that the killer had left Portapique, or of any danger in Wentworth, and yet the RCMP told firefighters not to attend the scene because of the danger of the gunman.

The next tweet came at 10:04am:

#RCMPNS is advising people to avoid Hwy 4 near Hidden Hilltop Campground in #Glenholme. Gabriel Wortman is in the area. Please stay inside your homes and lock your doors. #Portapique

RCMP, Nova Scotia (@RCMPNS) April 19, 2020

The very first reply to that tweet came from MaritimeGirL who wrote:

This should be announced on the emergency alert system. People out there driving may have no clue.

At 10:13am Sunday first responders reported two cars in MVA (motor vehicle accident) with possible entrapment (people trapped in the vehicles) at 1760 Plains Road in Debert:

At 10:15am, said Leather, the Emergency Management Office (EMO) contacted the RCMP to offer the use of the public emergency alerting system. We were in the process of preparing an alert when the gunman was shot and killed by the RCMP.

The problem with that explanation is that an hour and 25 minutes elapsed between 10:15 and the time the Twitter account announced that the gunman was in custody (curiously, the account did not say the gunman was killed).

During that period, nine more tweets were issued.

Two connected tweets at 10:17am and 10:21am:

Gabriel Wortman is currently in the #CentralOnslow #Debert area in a vehicle that may resemble what appears to be an RCMP vehicle & may be wearing what appears to be an RCMP uniform. Please stay inside and avoid the area. #RCMPNS

RCMP, Nova Scotia (@RCMPNS) April 19, 2020

Those tweets elicited an immediate tweeted reply from Joanne Roberge, who tagged Premier Stephen McNeil:

If there was ever a time to send out an emergency sound off alert to everyones phone it is now! You sent it out on Easter to have people stay home this is just as serious.

Another two at 10:39am:

Thank you for your understanding as we work to provide the most updated information while addressing public and officer safety. 2/2 #Portapique #CentralOnslow #Debert #Glenholme #Colchester

RCMP, Nova Scotia (@RCMPNS) April 19, 2020

And another one at 11:04am:

Gabriel Wortman, suspect in active shooter investigation, last seen travelling southbound on Hwy #102 from #Brookfield area in what appears to be RCMP vehicle & ma
y be wearing RCMP uniform. Suspect's car is 28B11, behind rear passenger window. If you see 28B11 call 911.

RCMP, Nova Scotia (@RCMPNS) April 19, 2020

Once again there was an immediate reply from a follower Levi Marshall asking for an alert:

Can we get an emergency alert please! Not everyone checks their phones after waking up?

Yet another tweet at 11:06am:

Gabriel Wortman, suspect in active shooter investigation, now believed to be driving small silver Chevrolet SUV. Travelling southbound on Hwy #102 from #Brookfield area If seen, call 911.

RCMP, Nova Scotia (@RCMPNS) April 19, 2020

At that time, Joey Webber was on a family errand towards Shubenacadie, Halifax councillor Steve Streatch told the Halifax Examiner. [Joeys] father told me this morning that [Joey] came right up around the ramp where the police cars were on fire there. He just left the service station to come up around, and he met the face of evil.

Joey was killed. The gunman took the silver Chevy Tracker Joey had been driving.

The RCMP tweeted out at 11:24am:

Confirmed suspect vehicle is silver Chevy Tracker. Last seen #Milford. If seen, call 911.

RCMP, Nova Scotia (@RCMPNS) April 19, 2020

Then at 11:35am:

To clarify, the suspect in our active shooter investigation, Gabriel Wortman, is NOT employed by the RCMP but he may be wearing an RCMP uniform. He is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do NOT approach and call 911 immediately.

RCMP, Nova Scotia (@RCMPNS) April 19, 2020

And finally, at 11:40am:

Gabriel Wortman, suspect in active shooter investigation, is now in custody. More information will be released when available. Thank you for your cooperation and support. #Colchester

RCMP, Nova Scotia (@RCMPNS) April 19, 2020

Oddly, the final tweet did not mention that the gunman was killed.

At todays daily COVID-19 briefing, Canadian Press reporter Keith Doucette had the following exchange with Premier Stephen McNeil:

Doucette: The US Consulate in Halifax issued an email alert to their citizens on Sunday about an active shooter based on the Nova Scotia RCMPs Twitter feed. Why was the province waiting for official word from the Mounties before issuing an emergency alert?

McNeil: Well, thats the protocol in place when it comes to EMO. As you know, the emergency alert, the lead agency is the one who has to put the message together. We would not go by whats happening by Twitter. We would need the lead agency to actually craft the message so that we could put that out and no message was received even though EMO had reached out a number of times throughout the morning to the RCMP.

Doucette: Why did you have EMO staff in anyway? It appears that you were anticipating that something was needed and then nothing happened. Is that a question for you, that youre wondering about?

McNeil: That command centre wouldve been going around COVID, so we stood that on early on, EMO put that up. But through a number of things that we were seeing on, or the EMO staff was seeing on Twitter, they called in their support staff around the alert message team and then began to reach out to the RCMP, who would have to craft the message or work with our team to craft that message and no message was received.

This morning, the Emergency Management Office confirmed to the Halifax Examiner that the Provincial Coordination Centre (PCC), from which emergency alerts can be issued, has been staffed seven days a week (but not nights) since the COVID-19 State of Emergency was declared on March 22.

The Halifax Examiner was not provided the opportunity to ask a question at the COVID-19 briefing. But we wanted to follow up the exchange between Doucette and McNeil by asking: What exactly is the emergency alert system for, if not for making the quick decision to alert the public to imminent danger?

McNeil seemed to be describing a complex alert system, such that the PCC first has to be staffed, and then get an ask from whatever the lead agency is in the case of an emergency. Then, the lead agency, perhaps in cooperation with the EMO, has to craft an alert, and only then can the alert be activated.

Is this bureaucratic system overly complex? What if the emergency happens at night, or otherwise when the PCC isnt staffed? More to the point, what happens if the emergency the public is to be alerted about has a timeframe shorter than the hour and 25 minutes it took between the EMO asking the RCMP to request an alert and the RCMP crafting it? What if there are only moments to spare, as in the case of a tsunami, or tornado, or missile attack or, as it turns out, a mass murderer on the loose?

Can the alert system serve to alert anyone to a real impending emergency?

Terry Canning thinks the system can work just fine; it just didnt this time. Canning was the emergency communications coordinator for the province for 15 years. Before that he was a specialist inmulti-agency trunked mobile radio systems. He is now a radio communications consultant.

We contacted Canning to ask about the lack of an emergency alert during Sundays murder spree.

Somebody within the Royal Constabulary fucked up big time, said Canning in an interview with the Examiner Wednesday evening. And relying on fucking Twitter of all things.

Canning said he has no immediate knowledge of events over the weekend, but in my experience, and Ive been in the emergency response field for 35 years, you would appoint a public information officer pretty quickly in a situation like that. And one of the first responsibilities of a PIO is to distribute information. Obviously, the most efficient way to do that was through the provincial public alert system, without a doubt.

Canning said that even when the PCC is closed, an EMO staffer is on call 24 hours a day, and they have to be within landline or cellphone range during their shift. They also carry radios.

He couldnt say for sure if the off-hours staffer can issue an alert without travelling to the PCC, but he thinks it likely.

Id be very surprised if they dont have some means through the internet, obviously, to get on line and issue the alert from wherever they are, but thats outside my scope of knowledge I cant say that categorically, but Id be very surprised if one of the duty officers couldnt be able to do that wherever they happen to be, so long as they have internet service.

The Examiner has requested a copy of the procedures and policies for issuing an emergency alert, but as of publication, the EMO has not provided it.

The Halifax Examiner is an advertising-free, subscriber-supported news site. Your subscription makes this work possible; please subscribe.

Some people have asked that we additionally allow for one-time donations from readers, so weve created that opportunity, via the PayPal button below. We also accept e-transfers, cheques, and donations with your credit card; please contact iris at halifaxexaminer dot ca for details.

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The anatomy of failure: How and why the emergency alert system was not activated when a mass murderer was roaming around Nova Scotia - Halifax...

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtleswere created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird and first appeared in Mirage Comics in 1984. Since then they've appeared in television shows, movies, video games and comic books. TMNT has been entertaining people for decades and every generation has looked different, but Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael have always been there with their humanoid turtle anatomy, kicking butt.

If there were any doubts regarding the turtle's superhero nature, those have squashed thanks to recent team-ups with Batman and the Power Rangers along the way. TheTurtles' super abilities aren't put on blast like many other popular heroes, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

Related:TMNT #101 Is the Ideal Jumping-On Point Heres Why

The TMNT were created by a mysterious radioactive ooze that mutated them into humanoid turtle creatures. The mutations culminatedin heavily armored features like their shells and cranial plates. Their hands became tridactyl forelimb with opposable thumbs that allow them to maneuver their weapons and their feet are similar, but only have two digits. The Turtles's internal organs resemble human anatomy,including a chambered heart structure and similar intestinal system. They also possess the emotional depth of a human and many human interests and tastes -- like pizza, for one.

The Turtles have always possessed meta-human abilities like enhanced strength, speed, agility and reflexes. They're also resistant to cold. Splinter's ninjutsu training allowed the turtles to hone and strengthen their abilities to incredible levels. Leonardo even took his ninjutsu training to otherworldly heights by obtaining the ability to heal himself and others from fatal wounds. This healing ability goes beyond theTurtles' amphibious healing properties. The height of this power allowed Leo to cure himself of a so-called incurable venom when he was fighting Shredder's estranged daughter.

Related:Two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Just Became Much Bigger Threats

While their muscle and skeletal structures combine many elements from turtles and humans,the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' shellsare incredibly similar to real turtle shells. The plastron and the carapace combine to cover the Turtles' front and back to cover all their vital organs. Even the simpler animations show the shells divided into smaller subsections, whichare points where the individual bones fuse and form into a shell.

Their shells take the place of their abdominal muscles and collar bones and relay a lot of synchronicity between their human and turtle anatomy. Their shells are bulletproof and can withstand enormous kinetic force, making them incredibly resistant in battle -- which allows them to more easily defend against multiple opponents at once. The shells also provide situational offensive capabilities, like when the turtles hurl themselves like cannonballs at their foes.

Related: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: IDW's Urban Legends Saved TMNT's Lost Era

Jennika is the fifth member of the TMNT and is objectively the most unique turtle of the bunch. Not only was she human at one time, but she also worked for Shredder was one of Splinter and theTurtles' most deadly foes. After she was gravely wounded, the Turtles decided to save her life with a blood transfusion. Leo was Jennika's blood donor and his mutated blood transformed Jennika into a turtleoid, whereas the original turtles were turned into humanoids. Jennika's Turtle form is far more slender than her male counterparts and she dawns a bright yellow eye mask to complete her look.

Jennika's main weapon choice is a set of claws, keeping an element of her Foot Clan past with her during her new life as a hero in a half shell. It's Jennika's mental fortitude that sets her apart. Not only does she have an entire lifetime of human memories, she's dealing with all of the mental hurdles of a mid-life species change. Jennika brings a lot more weight and human nuance to her character, which makes her a completely new breed ofMutant Ninja Turtle.

Related:TMNT: Jennika #1 Offers a Punk-Rock Look at the Newest Hero in a Half Shell

The turtles have gone through some changes over the years. While they generally remain the same, there have been some radical exceptions to the rule. One time, Leo lost his hand in a battle with a mutated Komodo Dragon named King Komode and in the same comics series, Raphael's face became permanently scarred. These incidents are no longer considered canon, but theyprovide an idea of theTurtles' healing limitations and the extent of their pain tolerance.

Donny and Raph have gone through the weirdest changes of them all, like the one time they turned into vampires during a collision with Universal Studio's classic monsters-- including Dracula. Donny also becomes a cyborg at one time when his body is damaged from a nearly fatal fall out of a helicopter. Donny merged with one of the cyborgs he and his brothers were fighting to save his life and the CPU altered his brain to make him more aggressive and feel less remorse. His extra mechanical features included blasters and improved armor.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles may have started as turtles mutated into humanoids by toxic ooze, but they have come a long way since and are now genuine heroes with incredible power.

Keep Reading:How the Ninja Turtles Come to Terms with [SPOILER's] Death

One-Punch Man: This Theory Explains Saitamas Power - and Its Brilliant

Jonathan Olsen-Koziol has been training for this his entire life. Since he was a young child he's been consuming and studying comic books, movies, video games, heroes, villains, story arcs, and pop-culture. Now he gets to relay a lifetime of passion and knowledge to the people! If his writings find you; hopefully you leave entertained. Jon graduated from Central Washington University with a Bachelor's in journalism and concurrently works as a head editor and digital content specialist for RespectMyRegion.com.

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TMNT Anatomy: The Weirdest Things About the Ninja Turtles' Bodies - CBR - Comic Book Resources

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With the broadcast-TV season coasting to an early end, TVLine asked which plot developments you hoped still played out on-screen before your favorite shows faded to black. And with several series already signed off, did any of you enjoy payoff?

In alphabetical order below, weve laid out the shortened-season wishes of both readers and the TVLine staff, then taken stock of which hopes were sated and who among us is still left hanging. We will of course update this scientific document as the seasons still playing out near their respective ends.

Batwoman: Poor Mary as of late has not-so-subtly been inviting Kate and Luke to formally bring her into the Bat-circle of Bat-trust. Itd be great to see her officially join the team sooner versus later. TVLineThe synopsis for May 3 says, in part, that Mary tries to prove herself to Kate. Perhaps to be trustworthy as a new team member?

The Blacklist: This show has worn out the wonderment of Reds past. WE ALL dont care! Just go after evil people. Period. HalThough Season 7 doesnt wrap until May 15, Red has indeed gone back to pursuing Blacklisters of the Week now that he thinks Katarina Rostova is dead. That said, we know Katarina is very much alive, and the April 17 episode once again brought up the question of Reds real identity.

Charmed: Abigael has been a gorgeous nuisance for the Charmed Ones all season. Now that theyve regained the Power of Three, its time to put that demon out of her (and the audiences) misery. TVLineParkers pesky sister hasnt appeared since the April 3 episode, during which she speculated that shed probably be dead within the week. Still, something tells us we havent seen the last of Abigael and were actually OK with that. Shes really grown on us (and Mel) since we made this wish.

Chicago Fire: I am so ready for a Brett and Casey kiss. ImzadiCasey and Bretts friendship continued to deepen as she came to him for support after her biological mothers death, but the two have yet to share even a peck. (Are they bucking for a spot on this list, perhaps?)

Chicago Med: I would like some kind of resolution to #Chexton, if they can work it out and communicate openly about their relationship. Get the real reason why April kissed Crockett. AuroraAlas, #Chexton was still in limbo as of the April 15 finale. After Ethan found himself in the middle of a dangerous hostage situation, he realized hed made a big mistake by letting April go. But just when it looked like the exes were finally going to talk Ethan was called away to give his witness statement.

Chicago P.D.: It would be nice to have Burgess and Ruzek dating again, even if theres just a hint. IngmarTheyre not dating but there was a friendly scene in the seasons penultimate episode that hinted theyre on their way to possibly reuniting.

Dynasty: We know Fallon has a lot on her plate at the moment between planning a wedding and tricking Liams son into liking her but itd be nice if she could also squeeze in one more fantasy musical number, preferably a mother-daughter duet with Alexis. TVLineOur wish is Dynastys command, apparently! The CW dramas April 17 episode featured an impromptu duet between Liz Gillies (aka Fallon) and Broadway star Laura Osnes.

Empire: A recent episode alluded to UK transplants Jamal and Kai adopting a baby. A few more details about (and perhaps a photo of?) the new arrival would go a long way in giving us some closure to Jamals already-truncated arc. TVLineWe kinda got our wish. Although the Fox dramas final-ish episode made no mention of Jamal and Kai, showrunner Brett Mahoney provided TVLine with an exclusive update on the couples off screen baby pursuit in our post-swan song Q&A. (They had a boy!)

The Flash: Showrunner Eric Wallace told TVLine the audience wont have to wait until the end of the season for Barry to realize his wife is a fake. But will that reveal come four whole episodes before the planned end of the season? TVLineThe promo for the April 28 episode suggests that, coming off that rough quarrel about Joe/WITSEC, Barry will come to suspect that his wife isnt his actual wife. But what will/can he do with that hunch?

CLICK HERE FOR PAGE 2: GREYS ANATOMY, NEW AMSTERDAM AND MORE

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Despite Shortened TV Season, Which of Your Storyline Wishes Still Came True? - TVLine

Grey's Anatomy season 16 spoilers follow.

Grey's Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff has addressed whether or not Justin Chambers or Katherine Heigl could return to the series.

Chambers made his exit from the show during season 16, and in a twist, his character Alex Karev was later revealed to have reunited with Izzie Stevens, who was played by Heigl between 2005 and 2010.

Related: Grey's Anatomy boss confirms major character's fate after surprising diagnosis

Alex and Izzie are now living happily together and raising twins on a farm in Kansas.

In an interview with Deadline, Vernoff was asked about the possibility of Chambers or Heigl reprising their roles in the future, especially since neither of them were killed off. The showrunner replied by saying that a shock return for either character wouldn't be impossible.

"When I left the show in season 7, people asked me if there was any chance of me ever coming back, and I was smart enough to say, 'Never say never'," she said. "Here I am, so who knows?"

During the same interview, Vernoff admitted that she wasn't surprised by the divisive reaction to how Alex was written out.

"I believe that there would've been at least as big an outcry if we had killed that character off-camera, and those were our choices," she said, before adding that she "felt satisfaction" and was "really happy" with Alex's fate.

The 16th season ended four episodes early, resulting in several planned storylines including for Teddy Altman and Andrew DeLuca being cut.

There have also been reports that a major character death was supposed to happen in the original season finale.

Grey's Anatomy airs on Thursdays on ABC in the US. It airs on Sky Witness in the UK with selected episodes also available on NOW TV.

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Grey's Anatomy boss responds to whether Justin Chambers or Katherine Heigl could return - digitalspy.com

Its an age-old conversation topic for football fans that can easily fill an evening in the pub, or multiple for the die-hard. Whats your favourite ever away game?

Reading fans are pretty blessed in this regard. The obvious answers include Southampton and West Ham away in 2012, the play-off demolition of Cardiff a year earlier, and the Bryniesta inspired beating Liverpool in the FA Cup.

But every fan has their personal favourites, those perfect days that rest in the lower tiers of Reading folklore. Mine include the 3-1 promotion six-pointer win at Birmingham in 2008, the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford earned by our second-string XI in the 2006/07 FA Cup. And then theres Bolton.

On April 21, 2007, 13 years ago as I sit here today, Steve Coppells side found themselves 1-0 down to Bolton at the Reebok Stadium with 83 minutes on the clock. On the face of it, this isnt a particularly impressive prologue to a Lazarus-esque tale.

But Reading were dreaming of Europe in their first season of Premier League football, and Sam Allardyces side were a major rival with established faces such as Nicolas Anelka, Kevin Nolan and El Hadji-Diouf in their ranks. It was also a chance to see how the other half lives. A decade-and-a-half earlier, Bolton were not an intrinsically bigger team and their rise in that period set the blueprint for the Royals own ambitions - having featured something of a fork in the road 12 years earlier.

The hosts had generally been the better team for those 83 minutes. Anelkas second-half opener came via an unfortunate attempted block from Nicky Shorey but couldnt really be argued with. Readings best chance came in an agonising goalmouth scramble that suggested a typically tough day in the life of a small fish in a big pond.

Then the last six minutes happened. Kevin Doyles frankly rude insistence on running at goal brought an errant leg from Abdoulaye Meite. That was the thing about that Reading team, they didnt care who you played for, they just turned up and beat you. They didnt know they were born. The Irishman picked himself up to slot home the equaliser.

Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen prepared to take a goal kick a minute later and took his time, earning a hounding from his own supporters desperate to re-take the lead. If only they knew what he knew. In the 89th minute, a cross from the right floated over to Doyle whose brazen arrogance allowed time for the ball to settle perfectly on the six-yard line, Bolton studs stabbing at his heels, before belting it home.

Reading had the lead but the fun wasnt over. Shorey tricked his way down the left wing and a perfect cross was only inches over the head of a hat-trick hunting Doyle. That left Shane Long with a free header to make it 3-1. Little did he know Stephen Hunt was barrelling in at 100mph, blinkers on, to headbutt the ball into the back of the net.

The atmosphere in the away end was next level. Its best shown by the photo at the top of this article as Doyle celebrates the equaliser, I can see 13-year-old me and my dad celebrating, split by the fan in the row above whose somehow been lifted six feet in the air. The final whistle rang around a suddenly empty Reebok Stadium - sending the home fans back down the stairs early being one of the finest and most unique joys of following football on the road.

There was still one Bolton fan looking on in disbelief, as the boxer Amir Khan stood in his executive box near the away end, and received hundreds of playful taunts by joyous visitors singing of a dream European Tour. It was also our first win on their turf since a certain day in 1995, a memory no doubt resonating in the minds of many that day.

For myself, 2006/07 was my first season on the road with Reading and Im sure Ive never beaten the W3 D1 L1 record I witnessed that campaign. With our family connections up north, my mum had come up with us and visited the retail park next door during the game. All that loud cheering, she was worried we had received a battering... until we told her it was the away end going bananas.

It is also timely that the anniversary of that beautiful Lancastrian day lands on an equally lovely day in our very different world. On these football-less times, memories like these remind us why we all cant wait to do it all again.

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With two arms, two legs, a single head and torso, fans who prefer their cosmic villains as unfathomably large, cthulu-esque monstrosities may find Thanos rather boring. Additionally, his feats -- while notable -- are often written off as being enabled by the Infinity Gauntlet. The Snap certainly wouldnt havehappened without the golden glove, but the Mad Titan has plenty of other abilities that make him a universal threat, defeating many of Marvel's elite superheroes thanks to his unique alien physiology. Not only has he bested the Hulk in combat, but he's also outsmarted Asgardian deities, perfected inter-dimensional travel and mastered the supernatural during his time in the comics.

Here'sa look at what's under the glove that makes Disneys most famous California raisin so chipper.

RELATED: Thanos Steals the Avengers' Souls in Infinity War Art

His odd purple tones aside, the first thing many people notice about Thanos is his bulky frame. At just over6.5 feet tall and closing in at nearly 1,000 pounds of (mostly lean) muscle, its easy to see why the average human would find him intimidating.

While comic Thanos strength may vary wildly, theMCUs Thanos is capable of lifting 120 million pounds-- whichexplainswhy he was able to toy with the Incredible Hulk who, while still the 'Strongest There Is' by earthly standards, would struggle to lift a fraction of that. An argument could be made for Dr. Banner simply not being angry enough at the time, but that point is easily rebutted by the fact that it's immensely difficult for the Hulk to be angry when he's unconscious -- a likely outcome when witnessing the ease with which Thanos handled him in Avengers: Infinity War.

Speaking of crushing the Hulk, beating the aforementioned Avenger with ease as Thanos did would take more than just brawn. Thanos, for all his accomplishments, is rarely seen as a 'Speedster' character in the realm of comics. As Hulks strength increases with his anger, avoiding the increasingly powerful swings of his hammer-like fists would take reflexesand superhuman speed.

While his speed is mostly a moot point (Thanos travels via teleportation and/or spacecraft most of the time), film fans of this character will be pleasantly surprised to learn of his comic history of defeating the Silver Surfer, a character who can travel faster than light. Not only that, but he did so while collecting the Infinity Stones during a period where the Surfer had access to the Power Cosmic --a boon granted by none other than the 'Devourer of Worlds' and rumored next MCU big bad himself, Galactus.

RELATED: Thanos: Who ELSE Wielded the Infinity Gauntlet Across Marvel's Multiverse?

Thanos is an Eternal, a race of offshoot humanoids created by the Celestials (God-like space scientists). A million years ago, while they experimented on what would later become humanity, the Celestials also created the X-gene in humans (yes, that X-gene) in addition to the Deviants -- a race of religious, hideous counterparts to the more science oriented, often aesthetically pleasing Eternals. Immensely intelligent and powerful on their own, the Eternals turned to the skies and inhabited the stars -- in particular, Saturn's moon, Titan.

Deviants each carry a one-and-done mutation that is never repeated within the species. Some even mutated to the point where they were considered the monsters of human mythology. As it turns out, Thanos Grimace-like appearance is due to the fact he carries a Deviant gene and subsequently 'Deviant Syndrome' -- which, while giving him his trademark chin and pigment, unfortunately drove his mother to attempt to kill him at birth. While certainly tragic, he would later pay her back in kind.

Like their name suggests, the Eternals are functionally immortal. Immune to disease and the withering effects of age, Eternals are generally considered to live forever- provided a being with immense power doesn't kill them. They are also durable and possess immunity to most conventional human weapons in addition to being tolerant of extreme temperatures.

Thanos has benefited greatly from his heritage on both sides, being incredibly durable thanks to his thick, purple skin (given to him from the Deviant gene) and possessing great strength (due to his Eternal background). While Eternals may live for extended periods, none boast immortality like Thanos, who was spurned by the embodiment of death (his lover), and banned from entering her realm, thus making him unable to truly die.

Related: Thanos Wins: How Marvel Introduced the Future Mad Titan

Thanos, whose birth name is Dione, was a gifted child who had a brain that excelled past his tiny physique while growing up. As a genius without rival in nearly any field of science on his home moon, he created the Space Throne, which is not only capable of faster-than-light travel, but also capable of teleportation and inter-dimensional travel.

As a tactician, there are few who rival his prowess -- for his run in the MCU, he outclassed the hyper-intelligent and mischievous Loki (predicting many of his actions including an assassination attempt) and actually succeeded in outsmarting both Dr. Bruce Banner and Tony Stark during his victory in Avengers: Infinity War.In addition to his intelligence, he also possesses telepathy and telekinesis, both useful traits when triggering the Hulk into a blinding rage against his teammates or when defending himself from psychic attacks from telepathic opponents.

KEEP READING Old Man Thanos Could Still Appear in the MCU - Here's How

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A content creator since 2005, Kai's work has netted several awards in the online community. From fiction to documentary, page or screen, you'll find much of his work covers a little bit of everything. Follow him on Instagram as @themediabay

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Thanos: 5 Weird Facts About the Mad Titan's Body | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources

Like the rest of you, Im currently in isolation. Except, unlike many of you, Im in isolation with my parents.

Its been pretty good, to be honest. Firstly, no rent. Secondly, Mum really likes to clean like, genuinely seems to get high from vacuuming.

But a weird development in iso has been our nightly viewing, as a family, of Greys Anatomy.

Ive seen most seasons of Greys Anatomy. Considering it has like 18 seasons, I think its pretty amazing Ive seen a lot of it, to be honest. Re-watching it has been equal parts nostalgia (omg I forgot about 007!!!) and new information (wow I forgot they actually adopted Zola).

But watching it WITH MY DAD has been a real time. Its now his favourite show. As in, me, mum and my sister will happily chat over scenes because were invested, but not THAT invested but dad will become completely focused on Greys Anatomy, and Greys Anatomy only. You cant ask him questions. You cant clang kitchenware around willy nilly. He has submitted to the Greys Anatomy god and to him he must be true for 42 minutes and 30 seconds.

I have rounded up the worst times to watch Greys Anatomy with dad, since Im sure some of you home-living folks feel me here.

My dad does not seem to understand the fundamental fact that Greys Anatomys lifeblood is relationships. He seems to think its actually a show about medicine.

Every time theres a relationship crisis, he groans and goes oh come on, were bored of this. He couldnt stand the Meredith/Derek back and forth. HATED Callie and Arizonas post-Africa dramas. Cant stand Lexies umming and aahing over McSteamy.

Dont get me wrong he loves the couples. When theyre stable, and doing surgeries without talking about their love issues.

My dad isnt very macho. He lives in a household of women, I doubt he could be. I would say hes a feminist but one of those ones who wouldnt be like Im a feminist.

What I do know is, my dad is almost 70 and not exactly up to date with the extensive history of women being seen as simply procreators and homemakers. I know he isnt like, hey you girls go get a man and have babies, but all of this blathering on comes down to this. In the great Cristina vs. Owen saga, my dad chose OWEN.

Every time Owen is doing his dumb shit wahuhuhuh Cristinaaaaa you will want to have a childeeee in your wombbb business, and me, my sister and my mum throw shit at the TV coz he SUUUCKS, dads like Cristina is the worst.

NO. SHE ISNT. I need to have a two second rant about how Owen MARRIED CRISTINA, knowing she was 100% dedicated to surgery and surgery only, and did not want kids, then got fucking MAD AT HER for wanting to abort their accidental kid. Uh, no shit dude. She told you she didnt want them, if you didnt listen thats on you, PAL.

Fuck. I needed to get that out.

Anyway, dad siding with Owen is a bone of contention in my family and I just dont understand how he cant see that Cristina Yang is jesus.

Okay, so you know how shows will have opening scenes, and you dont know the characters but as an avid TV-watcher, youre well aware that at some point in the episode, youll be told who the characters are and why youre meant to care?

Yeah. Dad doesnt get that.

Dad will be like who is that? at 0.03 seconds into episode 22. Hell be like where did he come from when the fucking surgeons ON THE SHOW dont know who this fucking man with a hernia is.

Its annoying.

So as I said, Ive watched a lot of Greys Anatomy. Not HEAPS, but a lot. This means Ive often known the outcome of an overarching plotline before my parents.

So when dads like I bet Meredith gets fired or I bet the shooter is that guy, its really annoying to have to keep a poker face. Even more annoying is when he has INSANELY INCORRECT theories like I reckon Yangs gonna die this episode and I bet Dereks CLEARLY GOING TO SURVIVE PATIENT dies.

I mean. OBVIOUSLY.

Greys Anatomy is currently streaming on Stan.

See the article here:
All The Times Watching 'Grey's Anatomy' With My Dad Has Been The Actual Worst - Pedestrian TV