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Is Stella Bad in XO Kitty Season 2? Her True Plan Explained
Kitty Song Covey’s new roommate, Stella Cho, in XO Kitty Season 2 hides a secret that could threaten to destroy the life of a friend closest to her.

Stella (Audrey Huynh) is introduced as Kitty’s overly cheery roommate who is entering her first year at the Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS).

As the season progresses, not everything is what it seems as Kitty and her friends slowly unearth Stella’s dark revelations in the Netflix series.

Is Stella Evil in XO Kitty Season 2?

Audrey Huynh

Warning – The rest of this article contains spoilers for XO Kitty Season 2.

In Season 2, Episode 1 (read more about the full cast of XO Kitty Season 2), Stella tells Kitty (and the viewers) that she became part of KISS due to an exchange program through her church and was originally from Pepper Pike, Ohio.

While Stella seems like a candidate to become one of Kitty’s best friends in the brand-new episodes, Season 2’s premiere ends with the big reveal that Stella’s real name is Esther.

Stella even tells her parents on the other end of the line that “there is no more Esther,” and she is attending KISS to “get what [she] deserves:”

“For the last time, my name is Stella. There is no more Esther. And I do have to do this. I’m here to get what I deserve. Now leave me alone.”

In the following episodes, Stella shows her true colors by creating more drama for Kitty and using her as a distraction so that she can progress on her evil scheme.

She exposes Kitty’s goodbye letter to Yuri, in which she talks about her real feelings for her. This leads to a heartbreaking chain of events: Yuri and Juliana’s breakup and Praveena’s failure to pursue Kitty in a potential relationship.

What Is Stella’s Real Plan?

Sang Heon Lee & Audrey Huynh

It turns out that Stella plans to get close to Min Ho (who may or may not be the one who ends up with Kitty in Season 2) to destroy the reputation of his famous dad, Young Moon, a talent manager who takes inspiration from Simon Cowell.

Stella exposes Kitty’s goodbye letter to Yuri during their skiing weekend at Min Ho’s dad’s cabin, distracting her friends so that she can snoop around and find dirt from his father to reveal who he truly is.

The first wave of Stella’s plan includes leaking documents exposing Mr. Moon’s harsh behavior, calling them “MoonLeaks.”

Too bad for Stella, Kitty becomes suspicious after the whole letter fiasco at the cabin.

As Min Ho and Stella get closer, Kitty also progresses in learning the truth.

She finds out that Stella is actually Esther, who auditioned for one of Mr. Moon’s previous talent shows, Rising Stars with Young Moon.

Min Ho’s dad embarrassed her in front of a worldwide audience, and she even became a famous meme centered around her final words in the audition: “But beauty was supposed to come from within.”

Although Kitty initially tries to warn Min Ho, he is already blinded by his feelings for Stella.

Stella’s plan also involves planting a recording device (disguised as a gift) in Mr. Moon’s office, where she finds out that Min Ho’s brother, Joon Ho, has a pregnant girlfriend who is also one of his backup dancers.

So, Did Stella Win?

Stella later comes clean to Min Ho and threatens to blame Kitty for everything she did, meaning that Min Ho has no choice but to play along.

Stella’s plan ultimately changes at the last minute after she decides to cheat and win Mr. Moon’s Talent Show at the end of the semester instead (with Min Ho’s help) since a recording contract is up for grabs for the winner.

Despite that, Dae later realizes what Stella is doing to his best friend, and he works with Kitty and the others to expose who she truly is.

Min Ho tells the truth to his father, and his brother, Joon Ho, later reveals to the public that he is in love with his pregnant girlfriend.

This revelation means that Stella can no longer reveal anything about Min Ho’s family, and she is later arrested and deported back to Ohio.

All episodes of XO Kitty Season 2 are streaming on Netflix. Netflix has another coming-of-age drama in the vein of XO Kitty, Heartstopper (read more about the Season 3 cast here).

In XO Kitty Season 2, fans have been left wondering if Stella is truly as bad as she seems. Throughout the season, Stella has been portrayed as a conniving and manipulative character, constantly causing trouble for the other characters. But is there more to Stella’s character than meets the eye?

Many fans have speculated that Stella may have a hidden agenda, one that goes beyond just causing chaos for the sake of it. Some believe that Stella’s true plan may be to take down the other characters and assert her dominance in the Kitty Kingdom.

One theory suggests that Stella may be working with a mysterious figure behind the scenes, pulling the strings and manipulating events to her advantage. This would explain her seemingly calculated actions and her ability to always stay one step ahead of the other characters.

Others have proposed that Stella may have a tragic backstory that has shaped her into the character she is today. Perhaps she has been hurt in the past and is now seeking revenge on those she believes wronged her.

Whatever the case may be, one thing is for certain – Stella is a complex and intriguing character whose true motives have yet to be fully revealed. As XO Kitty Season 2 continues to unfold, fans can only speculate on what Stella’s true plan may be and how it will impact the other characters in the Kitty Kingdom.

Tags:
1. Stella XO Kitty Season 2
2. Stella character analysis
3. XO Kitty Season 2 spoilers
4. Stella’s true plan revealed
5. XO Kitty Season 2 theories
6. Is Stella a villain in XO Kitty Season 2?
7. Stella’s motivations in XO Kitty Season 2
8. XO Kitty Season 2 plot twist
9. Stella’s role in XO Kitty Season 2
10. Exploring Stella’s character in XO Kitty Season 2
#Stella #Bad #Kitty #Season #True #Plan #Explained
January 20, 2025
Ralph Macchio’s The Outsiders Character, Explained (& What The Actor Said About Working With Francis Ford Coppola)
The Outsiders was bursting with future star power, including Ralph Macchio, when it was released in 1983. Alongside Macchio, the Francis Ford Coppola-directed film starred a slew of major Hollywood actors including Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, and Diane Lane. The Outsiders is based on the seminal 1967 novel by S.E. Hinton, and follows two gangs of young people — the poor greasers and the more wealthy Socs — as they fight for dominance in Tulsa, Oklahoma during the 1960s.

The film was a box office success, earning over $25 million against a $10 million budget (via Box Office Mojo) and critical acclaim. In the years since its release, The Outsiders spawned both a 1990 sequel TV series and a Tony Award-winning 2023 Broadway musical. The 1983 movie’s impact also extends to its stars, as just one year after its release, Ralph Macchio would go on to play Daniel LaRusso in 1984’s The Karate Kid. This film would define his career, as Macchio went on to reprise his role in two Karate Kid sequels and Netflix’s Cobra Kai.

Ralph Macchio Played Johnny Cade In The Outsiders

Johnny Is The Greaser Who Says “Stay Gold, Ponyboy.”

Ralph Macchio plays Johnny Cade in The Outsiders. Johnny is a part of the Greaser subculture along with the protagonist, Ponyboy (C. Thomas Howell). Early in the film, Johnny and Ponyboy get into a fist fight with the rival Socs gang. In the confrontation, Johnny fatally stabs a Socs member to death.

The rest of the film sees Johnny and Ponyboy on the run and later trying to clear their names as Johnny acted in self-defense. Johnny later shows his heroism when he saves a group of kids from a church fire, only to break his back in the process and succumb to his injuries. His dying words, “Stay gold, Ponyboy,” are The Outsiders‘ most iconic quote.

Related

25 Wild Details Behind The Making Of The Outsiders

The Outsiders launched the career of so many iconic young actors, but they went through a lot to make it to the big screen.

As Johnny, Macchio was able to hold his own in The Outsiders‘ cast of future A-listers because his performance was so authentic. Johnny’s anguish about his parents’ constant domestic abuse and his anxiety about clearing his name are clearly seen through Macchio’s performance. He handles the nuances of his character well and has an effective Oklahoma accent to boot. The role was vital to Macchio’s career, as it let Hollywood know that he could handle complex roles.

What Macchio Said About Working With Francis Ford Coppola

Coppola Certainly Challenged Him

The actor has discussed working with The Outsiders director Francis Ford Coppola at length. In an interview with Us Weekly at the 2024 Director’s Guild Honors, Macchio said Coppla would throw him “curveballs” in order to challenge him. He says the acclaimed director wanted Macchio to turn his analytical brain off so the acting would feel organic. Of working with Coppola, Macchio said,

“[Coppola] kept telling me to do it again and to stop thinking. One time, he gave me a little rock and said, ‘Don’t look at this rock. Put it in your pocket, and during the scene, I want you to think about what color it is,’’’ he said. “And it actually helped because it took me out of over-analyzing.”

The Outsiders has stayed with Macchio throughout his career. In June 2024, he took his family to see The Outsiders Broadway musical. The musical opened in 2023 to critical acclaim and won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Macchio visited the cast and took a few photos, including a one-on-one with the Tony-nominated Sky Lakota-Lynch, the actor who plays Johnny in the musical rendition. While The Karate Kid made him famous, it’s clear that Ralph Macchio will always have a soft spot for the film that launched his career.

The Outsiders is Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age drama novel. Two teen gangs, the Socials and the Greasers find themselves at irreconcilable odds when one of the Social’s boys is killed in a brawl. Following the event, the Greasers head into hiding while some of them seek redemption for their past crimes.

Release Date

March 25, 1983

Runtime

91 minutes

Budget

$10 million

Ralph Macchio’s The Outsiders Character, Explained (& What The Actor Said About Working With Francis Ford Coppola)

Ralph Macchio is best known for his role as Johnny Cade in the classic coming-of-age film “The Outsiders.” Portraying the sensitive and troubled character, Macchio brought depth and emotion to the role, earning him critical acclaim and a loyal fan following.

In the film, Johnny Cade is a member of the Greasers, a group of working-class teenagers who are constantly at odds with the wealthier Socs. Johnny is portrayed as a quiet and sensitive boy who is often the victim of abuse and neglect. Despite his tough exterior, Johnny has a heart of gold and forms a close bond with his best friend Ponyboy Curtis, played by C. Thomas Howell.

Macchio’s portrayal of Johnny Cade was praised for its authenticity and emotional depth. The actor brought a vulnerability and innocence to the character that resonated with audiences, making Johnny one of the most beloved characters in the film.

In an interview, Macchio shared his experience working with director Francis Ford Coppola on “The Outsiders.” He praised Coppola for his attention to detail and his ability to bring out the best in his actors. Macchio also expressed his admiration for Coppola’s vision and dedication to the project, stating that working with the legendary director was a career highlight.

Overall, Ralph Macchio’s portrayal of Johnny Cade in “The Outsiders” remains a standout performance in his career, showcasing his talent as an actor and his ability to bring complex characters to life on screen.

Tags:
1. Ralph Macchio
2. The Outsiders
3. Character analysis
4. Francis Ford Coppola
5. Working with directors
6. Hollywood actor
7. Behind the scenes
8. The Outsiders movie
9. Ralph Macchio interview
10. Acting career
#Ralph #Macchios #Outsiders #Character #Explained #Actor #Working #Francis #Ford #Coppola
January 19, 2025
Dustin Hoffman & Meryl Streep’s Feud Explained — What Really Happened On The Kramer Vs. Kramer Set?

Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep starred in the Academy Award-winning Kramer vs. Kramer, but some on-set antagonism between the pair left a bad taste in Streep’s mouth. Kramer vs. Kramer is what happens when an actor in his prime, an impossibly talented up-and-comer, a capable director, and a fascinating and moving story come together. Before there was Marriage Story, there was Kramer vs. Kramer, a 1979 legal drama that follows a couple’s divorce and the subsequent evolution of their relationship through the trauma and how it affects their young son.

Dustin Hoffman is at his best as Ted Kramer, a workaholic advertising executive in NYC whose wife of eight years, Joanna (Meryl Streep), suddenly announces she wants a divorce. Shocked and angry, Ted begins an arduous custody battle with Joanna over their young son, Billy (Justin Henry), eventually coming to understand why his wife made this decision. The film went five for eight at the 52nd Academy Awards with Streep and Hoffman winning Best Supporting Actress and Best Actor respectively. Despite the film’s success, the stars didn’t have a good relationship on set.

Dustin Hoffman Allegedly Slapped Meryl Streep On The Kramer Vs. Kramer Set

Streep Said That Hoffman Slapped Her To Get Her In The Right Mindset To Act

Kramer vs. Kramer is a harrowing movie and the anger and stress Ted and Joanna express throughout it is uncomfortably real. According to Meryl Streep, Hoffman’s character bled over into his acting prep because, before the opening scene of Ted and Joanna fighting in the hallway, Streep says that Hoffman actually slapped her in the face (via NYT). Kramer vs. Kramer ended up being one of the defining movies of Meryl Streep’s career, but at the time, she was extremely new to acting, with only a handful of previous credits to her name.

Related

5 Meryl Streep Movies We Wish Had A Sequel (& 5 That Are Perfect On Their Own)

From The Devil Wears Prada to The Deer Hunter, here are some Meryl Streep movies that need a sequel (and some that definitely don’t).

As Streep says herself,

“This is tricky because when you’re an actor, you’re in a scene, you have to feel free. I’m sure that I have inadvertently hurt people in physical scenes. But there’s a certain amount of forgiveness in that. But this was my first movie, and it was my first take in my first movie, and he just slapped me. And you see it in the movie. It was overstepping.”

In retrospect, and after spending decades in the industry, it seems that Streep has come to see a small part of what Hoffman may have been thinking when he allegedly slapped her, but at the same time, she’s quick to make it clear that he had overstepped. Physical scene or not, it was inappropriate.

Hoffman allegedly rattled Gail Strickland, set to play Margaret, so much, that the director had to replace her with Jane Alexander.

Hoffman has never directly addressed the slap, so it’s unclear why exactly he may have done it. However, in the unauthorized biography of Meryl Streep, Her Again: Becoming Meryl Streep, journalist Michael Schulman wrote that Hoffman slapped Streep to purposefully make her angry (via Vogue). A dedicated method actor, Hoffman took his methods too far if he brought someone else into it.

Hoffman’s Other Alleged Abuses On Set

Hoffman Taunted And Startled Streep While Filming

That wasn’t the only time Dustin Hoffman allegedly abused Meryl Streep on the set of Kramer vs. Kramer. In the Schulman biography, Schulman reported other instances of taunting and abuse. One took place during the courtroom scene where Joanna is asked,

“Were you a failure at the one most important relationship in your life? Were you?”

According to Schulman, Hoffman came up to Streep right before the scene and whispered in her ear, “John Cazale” (via VanityFair). The legendary actor John Cazale was Meryl Streep’s partner for years, up until he tragically passed away the year before. It would be a cruel form of “inspiration” for the scene and Streep’s performance if true. Schulman also talks about the scene where Joanna and Ted are arguing over Billy’s custody. Before the scene, Hoffman allegedly asked the camera operator and only the camera operator,

“See that glass there on the table? If I whack that before I leave have you got it in the shot?”

That look of surprise, fear, and anger on Joanna’s face when Ted smashed his wine glass against the wall is real. She told Hoffman afterward,

“Next time you do that, I’d appreciate you letting me know”

If the reports are to be believed, it seems that Hoffman was looking for any opportunity to make Streep uncomfortable.

Streep’s Rep Said Hoffman Eventually Apologized To Her

News Outlets Dug Up A 1979 Accusation That Streep Denied The Veracity Of

While Dustin Hoffman has never officially responded to Meryl Streep’s claims, Streep’s representative did offer that she and Hoffman had come to some sort of understanding. In 2017, Slate unearthed a 1979 Time magazine interview with Streep where she accused Hoffman of touching her breast in their first meeting (via EOnline). After outlets reran the interview, Streep’s rep came out and said that the article was not an,

“…accurate rendering of that meeting.”

Adding,

“There was an offense and it is something for which Dustin apologized. And Meryl accepted that.”

In 2012, Hoffman teared up on stage at the BAFTA Life in Pictures event centered on his film career (via THR). When discussing his time working on Kramer vs. Kramer, Hoffman tearfully said,

“I was getting divorced, I’d been partying with drugs and it depleted me in every way.”

It’s not an apology, but with nothing being officially confirmed, it’s possible that Hoffman doesn’t think his actions warrant specific comment. The fact he’s willing to acknowledge some impropriety on the set, though, suggests he realizes his actions were over the line.

Other Women Have Accused Hoffman Of Sexual And Verbal Harassment

Hoffman Was Accused Of Sexual Misconduct By Seven Women In 2017

Dustin Hoffman’s alleged abuses against Meryl Streep are not the only accusations levied at the actor in his career. In 2017, Anna Graham Hunter accused Hoffman of groping her and verbally harassing her while she was a 17-year-old intern on the set of the TV movie Death of a Salesman (via THR). He allegedly asked Hunter to give him a foot massage among other inappropriate requests and comments. Hoffman responded to the article, saying (via TheGuardian),

“I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation. I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am.”

Hoffman was again accused of harassment and physical violation in 2017, this time by Kathryn Rossetter, who performed alongside Hoffman in the 1983 Broadway run of Death of a Salesman (via THR). By the end of 2017, Hoffman had been accused of sexual misconduct by seven different women (via USAToday). The accusations include everything from exposing himself to a teenager in 1980 to sexually assaulting a woman during the production of 1987’s Ishtar. Variety received a letter from Hoffman’s attorney calling the accusations against Hoffman,

“Defamatory falsehoods.”

Hoffman has never publicly addressed the accusations, save for his, “It’s not reflective of who I am” comment.

Streep Appears To Have Moved Past The Feud

Streep Said That All Was Forgiven

Whatever happened between Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman on the set of Kramer vs. Kramer, it appears that the actress has moved past it. In her New York Times interview that she did with Tom Hanks for their 2017 thriller, The Post, Streep talked about her relationship with Hoffman and his actions on set,

“But I think those things are being corrected in this moment. And they’re not politically corrected; they’re fixed. They will be fixed, because people won’t accept it anymore. So that’s a good thing.”

“Those things” she’s referring to are unacceptable actions like slapping an actress to get a rise out of her. In April 2020, Streep appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and when asked about the slap moment, Streep again said it was wrong, and she could have played the part without Hoffman’s interference, but she also said,

“All is forgiven and I really, really love him and I think he’s an amazing actor, yeah, but boy I was mad that day.”

It’s a measured and conciliatory response from a respected and talented actress.

Kramer vs. Kramer is a drama film directed by Robert Benton, starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. Released in 1979, the film follows the story of a man who must adapt to single parenthood after his wife leaves him, only to face a legal battle when she returns for custody of their child. The movie explores themes of family, responsibility, and the impact of divorce.

Release Date

December 19, 1979

Runtime

105 Minutes

Director

Robert Benton

Dustin Hoffman & Meryl Streep’s Feud Explained — What Really Happened On The Kramer Vs. Kramer Set?

The 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer is a classic that won multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman. However, behind the scenes, there was reportedly tension between Hoffman and his co-star Meryl Streep.

Rumors of a feud between the two actors have circulated for years, with many speculating that Hoffman’s method acting and intense personality clashed with Streep’s more reserved and methodical approach to acting. The tension reportedly came to a head during a particularly emotional scene in the film, where Hoffman’s character angrily slaps Streep’s character.

According to reports, Hoffman insisted on repeatedly slapping Streep in order to capture the raw emotion of the scene, despite Streep’s objections. The actress later revealed in interviews that she was deeply affected by the experience and felt traumatized by Hoffman’s behavior.

While both actors have since downplayed any animosity between them, the incident on the set of Kramer vs. Kramer has left a lasting impression on their relationship. Despite their on-screen chemistry and shared success in the film, the feud between Hoffman and Streep serves as a reminder of the challenges and complexities of working in the film industry.

Tags:

Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, feud, Kramer Vs. Kramer, behind the scenes, on-set drama, Hollywood, actors, film industry, controversial, on-screen chemistry, relationship, conflict, movie history, gossip

#Dustin #Hoffman #Meryl #Streeps #Feud #Explained #Happened #Kramer #Kramer #Set

January 19, 2025
Curse of Bobby Layne for the Detroit Lions, explained

If you’re a Detroit Lions fan, you know about this one.

So this one’s for everyone else out there: the Detroit Lions have been an NFL franchise since 1930, when they were the Portsmouth Spartans. They became the Lions in 1934 and last won an NFL championship in 1957 before there was a Super Bowl.

THE 12 TEAMS NEVER TO WIN A SUPER BOWL: Sorry, Lions fans. You’re on the list.

This brings us to the Curse of Bobby Layne. Back in 1958, the Lions traded Layne to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and an angry Layne allegedly declared the Lions wouldn’t win a title for 50 years.

Now, if that curse was a thing, it would have expired by now, right? And Peyton Manning and actor Jeff Daniels have been trying to get rid of it, too.

So … we’ll see this year if it’s gone.

The Curse of Bobby Layne is a legendary curse that has haunted the Detroit Lions for decades. Bobby Layne was a star quarterback for the Lions in the 1950s, leading them to three NFL championships. However, in 1958, Layne was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, allegedly after he famously declared that the Lions would not win another championship for 50 years.

Since Layne’s departure, the Lions have struggled to find success, often plagued by losing seasons, missed opportunities, and heartbreaking defeats. Despite having talented players and promising seasons, the Lions have failed to make it to the Super Bowl or win a championship since Layne’s departure.

Many fans believe that Layne’s curse is the reason for the Lions’ lack of success, as if his departure brought a dark cloud over the team that still lingers to this day. Some even say that Layne’s spirit still haunts the team, cursing them to perpetual disappointment.

Whether you believe in curses or not, there is no denying the eerie coincidence of the Lions’ struggles since Layne’s departure. The Curse of Bobby Layne remains a mysterious and ominous presence in the history of the Detroit Lions.

Tags:

Detroit Lions, Bobby Layne, NFL history, Detroit Lions curse, Bobby Layne curse, Detroit Lions quarterback, NFL legends, Detroit Lions franchise, football history, Detroit Lions history, Bobby Layne legacy, Detroit Lions curse explained

#Curse #Bobby #Layne #Detroit #Lions #explained

January 19, 2025
‘Silo’ Season 2’s twisty ending, explained

OK, deep breaths. That was a lot to unpack.

The Silo Season 2 finale had multiple threads to follow, most of which led to more questions than answers. So let’s unpack what answers we do have, and speculate on what might be coming in Season 3.

From the fate of Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) and Bernard (Tim Robbins) to that weird pre-apocalypse flashback, we’ve broken down the finale below.

SEE ALSO:

‘Silo’ Season 2, episode 9: What is the safeguard?

What happens at the end of Silo Season 2?

Multiple cliffhangers, plus an unexpected flashback!

Like the second season as a whole, the finale jumps between key characters like Juliette, Bernard, Lukas (Avi Nash), Shirley (Remmie Milner), Knox (Shane McRae), and Sims (Common). As rioters finally reach the top of the silo, hellbent on getting answers from Bernard, they see Juliette reappear on the camera outside and warn them not to come out. But as she runs down the stairs towards the airlock she’s met by Bernard, coming the other way with a gun. The two of them discuss how to save the silo from the ominous safeguard procedure (more on that below), before they find themselves trapped between the airlock doors as fire engulfs them.

Elsewhere, Sims visits the vault after confronting Lukas. The same robotic voice that spoke to Lukas in the tunnel addresses Sims, agreeing with his statement that he “wants to save the silo” before telling him and his son to leave the vault. “Camille can stay,” the voice says, referring to Sims’ wife (Alexandria Riley).

Finally, we have a flashback in which two people meet for a date in a bar, before the days of the silo. It eventually becomes clear that the man is a Congressman and the woman is a journalist, trying to get answers from him about a possible “radiological attack on the Unites States.” Eventually he leaves, but not before giving her a gift he picked up on a whim from a nearby store: what appears to be the same duck-shaped Pez dispenser that appears as a “relic” in Silo Season 1. Intriguing!

Credit: Apple TV+

So what is the safeguard procedure?

It was a major question in Season 2, episode 9, and in the finale we finally get the answer. When Juliette encounters Bernard leaving the silo, their conversation makes it clear that the safeguard is a way for someone outside the silo to pump in poison.

“There’s no point what you’re trying to do: Save them. It’s out of your hands, it was never in your hands, in my hands, in anyone’s hands,” says Bernard.

“Because of the poison they can pump in?” responds Juliette.

Mashable Top Stories

“You know about that?”

“I know about that. But I don’t know who’d do it, and I don’t know why.”

“I know the who. But I don’t know why and I don’t fucking care.”

Presumably the “who” is the owner of the voice that threatens Lukas with the safeguard in episode 9. But who exactly that owner is — whether some kind of sentient AI or ultimate Head of IT — will be a question for Season 3.

What will happen to Sims and his family?

The voice in the vault that responds to Robert Sims claims to want to save the silo, too — but how do we know if it’s telling the truth? On the one hand, you could argue that it surely wouldn’t even engage with Sims if it didn’t want to save the silo. On the other, we know that Juliette has a plan in place for stopping the safeguard. Maybe the poison takes time to pump in? Perhaps the owner of the voice is aware of this, and is planning to use Sims’ family to stop Juliette from getting in the way of its plans?

One thing that does seem likely, though, is that the owner of the voice intends to work with Camille Sims, rather than her husband. Maybe, based on its observations of the silo, it thinks she’s the more capable family member?

Credit: Apple TV+

Will Juliette and Bernard survive the fire?

Juliette and Bernard aren’t in a great spot at the end of Season 2, and that’s putting it mildly. As the airlock doors closes Bernard throws himself to the ground, and when the fire starts pouring into the cramped chamber Juliette does the same. But is there any way either of them can have survived that?

Well, maybe. Let’s not forget that Juliette is actually wearing a fire suit. Although she’s not as quick to duck down as Bernard, that should offer her some protection.

If either of them is going to die, Bernard seems the most likely. He drops to the floor quickly, but that may not be enough to save him — especially now that he’s no longer the show’s main villain.

What’s the deal with that flashback?

From all the clues we’re given, it seems fairly obvious that the flashback at the end of Season 2 is meant to take us back to the silo’s origin. The Congressman is from Georgia, for starters, and it’s heavily implied that this is where the silos are located (the travel book relic from Season 1 references Georgia, for instance, and the skyline beyond the silo resembles that of Atlanta).

The scene we witness also implies that the threat of war is looming, or possibly already here. The Congressman has to pass a radiation checker before he enters the bar, there’s talk of a dirty bomb and a threat from Iran, and there’s the journalist’s mention of a possible “radiological attack”. The silos may be already under construction at this point, for all we know. Perhaps the Congressman even has knowledge of the project.

So, will we see these people again? Will Season 3 be peppered with flashbacks that tell the silos’ origin story? At this point it’s impossible to say, but it certainly seems possible. Maybe the journalist will end up being one of silo 18’s first occupants — the Pez dispenser certainly hints at this — and maybe, just maybe, the Congressman will be revealed as one of the fabled founders.

How to watch: Silo is streaming now on Apple TV+.

Silo Season 2’s twisty ending, explained

If you’ve been following the thrilling sci-fi series Silo, you were probably left scratching your head at the jaw-dropping ending of Season 2. Fear not, as we break down the twisty conclusion and unravel its mysteries.

Throughout the season, we watched as our protagonist, Dr. Sarah Lee, struggled to uncover the truth behind the mysterious silo facility and its nefarious experiments. As she delved deeper into the secrets hidden within its walls, she discovered shocking revelations about the true nature of the facility’s operations.

In the final episode, it is revealed that the silo is actually a front for a top-secret government project aimed at creating superhuman soldiers through genetic manipulation. The experiments conducted on the test subjects were meant to enhance their physical and mental abilities, turning them into living weapons.

However, Dr. Lee soon realizes that the experiments have gone horribly wrong, resulting in the creation of unstable and dangerous mutants. As chaos ensues within the facility, Dr. Lee must race against time to shut down the project and prevent a catastrophic disaster.

But just when it seems like she has succeeded, a shocking twist is revealed – Dr. Lee herself is a genetically engineered superhuman, created by the same project she sought to destroy. Her memories were altered, and she was implanted with false beliefs to serve as a pawn in the government’s twisted game.

As the season ends on a cliffhanger, we are left wondering what lies ahead for Dr. Lee and the other test subjects. Will they be able to escape the clutches of their creators and forge their own destinies? Or will they be hunted down like lab rats, forever trapped in a cycle of experimentation and manipulation?

One thing is for certain – Silo Season 2’s ending has set the stage for an explosive and unpredictable third season. With its mind-bending twists and heart-pounding action, this series continues to push the boundaries of science fiction storytelling. Stay tuned for more thrilling adventures in the world of Silo.

Tags:

Silo Season 2, Silo Season 2 twist, Silo Season 2 ending explained, Silo Season 2 review, Silo Season 2 recap, Silo Season 2 finale twist, Silo Season 2 spoilers, Silo Season 2 theories, Silo Season 2 analysis

#Silo #Season #twisty #explained

January 18, 2025
The Ending of Silo Season 2, Explained
Warning: Major spoilers for the Silo Season 2 finale ahead.

Silo, based on the books by Hugh Howey and created for television by Graham Yost, has become one of the crown jewels of Apple TV+, recently earning a two-season renewal for Seasons 3 and 4 (the latter of which is set to be the show’s final installment). The compelling sci-fi series follows the lives of those living in the “silo,” a mysterious underground structure inhabited by 10,000 people. They know they’ve lived there for over 100 years, but not how they got there, why, or what lies beyond its walls.

When the Season 2 finale, “Into the Fire,” written by Aric Avellino and directed by Amber Templemore, releases Jan. 17, it’s bound to leave fans with more questions than answers. Over Zoom, Yost discussed the shocking finale, including three major scenes at the very end, the especially surprising final sequence that could change everything, and what to expect from Season 3.

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A major cliffhanger for Juliette and Bernard

Tim Robbins as Bernard in the Season 2 finaleCourtesy of Apple

In the Season 2 finale, the silo has been plunged into chaos. Ever since Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) went outside in the Season 1 finale and went over the hill, uncertainty has been brewing: Is there life outside the silo? Has everything been a lie? Juliette has become a symbol of truth and hope for the citizens of the silo, and those who believe she is still alive have united to fight for their freedom. They’ve had enough, and they’re ready to leave—completely unaware of the devastation that awaits them outside.

As the silo faces an all-out war, Juliette has spent Season 2 in the neighboring Silo 17 but is finally ready to return to her original silo after finding the materials to fix her suit. Juliette has also uncovered the secret of the safeguarding procedures, a remotely-accessed poison that’s capable of decimating every life in the silo with barely a second thought. Juliette sets out to return to her silo (number 18) to warn everyone about going outside, and to find a way to shut down the safeguard.

Before things go in a shocking direction, the finale has some big plans for Camille (Alexandria Riley). Her husband Robert Sims (Common) leads her and their son to the vault, but the all-knowing voice says only Camille can stay—despite Sims’ endless dedication to the silo, he is not deemed the best person to be the next head of IT.

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That’s a big move for a show that didn’t even conceive of Camille as a character until late in Season 1. “Writer and director Aric Avellino and I were in a jam on Episode 9 of Season 1,” recalls Yost. They were trying to find a place for Juliette to hide out. They settled on Sims’ house, which led them to think further about his life, leading to the creation of Camille, Sims’ wife. While the show follows the Howey novels fairly closely, things develop differently; genders are flipped, and deaths happen in different ways. “I think you owe the audience some new stuff. You can’t be just a slavish or a direct translation from page to screen,” Yost says. “Then we got Alexandria Riley, and it was like “Oh my god, she’s good, let’s write for her,” he explains. Riley’s impressive performance led to an expanded role in Season 2, and according to Yost, the decisions she made in Season 2 impressed the all-knowing, all-listening voice that has chosen her for greater things. “That presence detected something in her, a certain quality that would make her a great person to be—and the best person available—head of IT.”

Alexandria Riley and Common in Season 2 Episode 9Courtesy of Apple

The Season 2 finale barely gives the viewer any time to process this major development, as Juliette makes her long-awaited return to the silo. This emboldens the civilians who have taken control of the silo, shocked but hugely relieved to see Juliette approaching, to clean the camera—something she refused to do when leaving—thereby sowing the seeds of revolution. She holds up a warning to the people of the silo that it’s not safe to leave.

Before we can see their likely confused reactions, we see Juliette enter the walkway to the silo, only to be greeted by Bernard (Tim Robbins), the current mayor and head of IT, and by far the most powerful person in the silo. But Bernard is at his wits end and just wants to be free of the burden of leadership, one which has only worsened throughout Season 2. He’s no longer trusted, and the people of the silo want vengeance for a lifetime of lies. Bernard just wants to go outside and die. They briefly discuss the deadly safeguard procedures—Juliette doesn’t know who sets off the poison or why they do it, Bernard knows the who but not the why, “But I don’t f-cking care,” he tells her. “It never really mattered,” he adds, deflated. But Juliette may just have a solution to shut down the safeguard, which gives Bernard a glimmer of hope.

Before they can discuss it, the door back to the silo begins to shut. Juliette rushes in and Bernard races after her, saying she can’t go inside. They both wind up stuck inside the airlock, and fire begins to appear, soon submerging the entire airlock in violent flames. Juliette is thrown to the side, and the episode ends. Yost wouldn’t comment on the specific fates of Bernard or Juliette, but he was clear that the scene is a big deal: “One thing that this show made clear in Season 1 is, anyone could die. The fire is not good. And there are very serious consequences.”

A shocking coda changes everything

Sara Hazemi and Rebecca Ferguson in the Season 2 finaleCourtesy of Apple

Many creators would be satisfied to end a season on a major cliffhanger that puts the lives of its two biggest characters in jeopardy. But Silo saves its most shocking moment for something completely unexpected: A journey into the past, hundreds of years before silos even existed.

“One of the things I was looking forward to is going from the sound of fire in the airlock to rain over black. And having the audience just go ‘Sorry, what? Rain?’ There’s no rain in the silo,” Yost says. The effect is unsettling and completely unexpected. It’s almost like you’ve accidentally changed channels and are watching a different show—something Yost said a friend of his thought when watching the episode.

Just as the Season 1 finale amped up the stakes by expanding the show’s scale in revealing that there were dozens of other silos, the Season 2 finale expands the timeline of the show by throwing things back to the past. To Yost, the end of Season 1 was not a cliffhanger—”It was a step forward.” Similarly, he sees the Season 2 finale as another step forward, even if it’s going back in time. The final scene takes place in Washington, D.C., where two people we’ve never seen before, Daniel (Ashley Zukerman) and Helen (Jessica Henwick) are meeting for the first time at a bar.

As Yost explains, there was debate about whether to end with the flames or something different. “There were times when talking with Apple and others involved in the show: ‘Do we need this scene? Should we start Season 3 with that?’ We have Juliette in an airlock filled with fire and could go out there. That’s a conventional cliffhanger.” Instead, Yost wanted to take things in a whole new direction. “I wanted to establish that we’re going to see how this whole thing started.”

Daniel and Helen meet under the pretense of a date, but Dan is a congressman, and what journalist Helen really wants from him is information. She’s particularly interested in a “dirty bomb”—particularly, whether the rumors of one exploding in New Orleans are real, or merely fabricated to advance a war between America and Iran. Dan doesn’t answer, instead choosing to leave. It’s all vague, but it gives the viewer a chance to piece some details together: It was likely the bomb and the escalation of a war between America and Iran that led to the creation of the silos. “We wanted something where the audience goes, ‘Oh sh-t! Oh sh-t’ and that was the Pez. It’s not a cliffhanger, but it is a leaning-forward story moment,” says Yost.

About the Pez: Before Dan leaves, he gives Helen a gift. Helen opens the brown paper bag to reveal a Pez dispenser with a duck on top. She begins to smile, and the episode cuts to black, ending Season 2—for real this time. This isn’t just some random token of Dan’s appreciation, however. It’s the exact same Pez dispenser that’s found in the silo hundreds of years later, existing as a relic, a forbidden item and symbol of the past that normal civilians are not allowed to possess. The message is clear: However life in the silo began, these two played a part in it.

For those left confused by the sudden shift in the Season 2 finale, Yost offers assurance that we will get clarity on the beginning of the silos in the next season. “We get into the origin story, but we’re also deep into our silo world,” he says. There’ll also be more to learn about the dirty bomb. “In Season 3, we’ll find out what happened to Silo 17”—the silo Juliette spent the vast majority of this season in. “By the end of Season 3, you’ll know what happened to the people who went outside of 17, and the why and how of all of that. That’s a big thing that will get solved—and how the whole thing began.”

“One of the things I loved about the books,” Yost explains, “Is that Hugh [Howey] paced out the revealing of the answers to the mysteries, and we’re trying to keep to that too.” The audience finds out, as Juliette finds out. More mysteries are certain to be answered in the final two seasons—but we’ll have to wait and see if it’s still Juliette uncovering them.

Silo Season 2 has left fans on the edge of their seats with its intense plot twists and shocking revelations. In the final episode of the season, we finally see the culmination of all the drama that has been building up throughout the series.

Spoilers ahead

The season finale begins with the reveal that the mysterious organization behind the silo project is actually a government agency looking to control the population through mind control technology. As our main characters, Sarah and John, uncover this truth, they must race against time to stop the agency from carrying out their sinister plans.

In a heart-pounding climax, Sarah and John manage to infiltrate the agency’s headquarters and disable the mind control technology, freeing the people from its influence. However, their victory comes at a cost as John sacrifices himself to ensure the agency is permanently shut down.

The ending of Silo Season 2 is bittersweet, with Sarah mourning the loss of her partner but finding solace in knowing that they have saved countless lives from the agency’s manipulation. As she looks out over the now liberated city, she is filled with a sense of hope for the future.

Overall, the ending of Silo Season 2 is a satisfying conclusion to the gripping story that has kept viewers hooked from the beginning. It ties up loose ends while leaving room for future possibilities, making fans eager for what the next season has in store.

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January 18, 2025
What’s Going Around Right Now? The 4 Winter Viruses of the ‘Quad-Demic,’ Explained
Four illnesses are circulating in full force this winter, creating what many experts are calling a “quad-demic” in the U.S.

The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that “the amount of acute respiratory illness causing people to seek healthcare is at a high level.” Rates of COVID-19, seasonal influenza (the flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are elevated across most areas of the country.

Similarly, norovirus—known commonly as the stomach flu—has been on the rise in the U.S., causing outbreaks across the country. According to CDC NoroSTAT data, a record 91 norovirus outbreaks were recorded for the week ending Dec. 5, 2024—far more outbreaks than in recent years at this time.

These simultaneously spreading viruses aren’t only a burden to public health, but put added strain on healthcare systems.

“It [has] a huge impact, not just on the individual who’s sick, but on the community,” Geeta Sood, MD, ScM, assistant professor of medicine and hospital epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, told Health. “The entire healthcare system can be impacted when you have high rates of all of these infections at the same time.”

Here’s what you need to know about the four viruses of the quad-demic and how to stay safe this winter.

It’s not uncommon for respiratory illnesses, like COVID, the flu, and RSV, to spread more in the winter months, and current rates of infection are pretty typical for this time of year, according to Shira Doron, MD, chief infection control officer for Tufts Medicine and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center.

This is due to a variety of reasons, like environmental factors (cold, dry conditions can allow viruses to spread more easily), more susceptible immune systems, and frequent indoor gatherings.

Influenza in particular is ravaging most of the U.S. right now. According to the CDC’s Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report, seasonal flu activity is elevated across most of the country, with many states seeing high or very high levels of flu.

COVID and RSV are also circulating now, but at lower levels. For the week ending Jan. 4, COVID accounted for 1.3% of emergency department visits in the U.S., while RSV made up just 0.9%. (Flu, meanwhile, accounted for 4.8% of ED visits.)

Doron told Health that she believes RSV has hit its peak for this season, while COVID rates appear to have reached a plateau. She also predicted that rates of the flu will likely start to fall in February.

Though not a respiratory illness, norovirus is also circulating in the U.S., and has caused more outbreaks than usual this season.

“Norovirus is experiencing a relatively high year,” Doron said. “It’s not a terrible outlier, but it’s not a good year for norovirus.”

The most recent data from the CDC show that, from Aug. 1 to Dec. 11, 2024, the U.S. saw 495 norovirus outbreaks—over 100 more than the same time period from 2023. In fact, the total number of outbreaks for the 2024–2025 season so far has surpassed the outbreaks reported for all previous seasons since 2012.

Even that data may be underreported, said Doron, since many people don’t seek medical care for its symptoms.

“You can’t treat norovirus, so you’re not really trying very hard to find it,” Doron said, explaining the lack of testing. “It is the most common cause of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, so you’re just going to generally manage it symptomatically and with hydration.”

Experts say whooping cough, walking pneumonia, and even bird flu deserve some extra attention this season.

Whooping cough (pertussis), a highly contagious bacterial infection, is returning to pre-pandemic patterns, according to the CDC. The most recent data show more than six times as many cases were reported as of Dec. 28, 2024, compared to the same time in 2023.

Earlier this season, in October, the U.S. was also seeing an increase in cases of walking pneumonia, a respiratory illness caused by the Mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria.

Many experts are watching avian influenza–commonly known as bird flu—closely as well.

Though bird flu is still very rare, according to Doron. There have been 66 confirmed total cases of bird flu in the U.S., and one known death associated with the H5N1 virus. Most bird flu cases have been directly linked to animal exposures, such as dairy herds or poultry farms, but at least two cases have an unknown source of exposure.

And though human metapneumovirus (HMPV)—a virus that has symptoms similar to the common cold—has been in the news recently for a surge of cases in China, Doron said there’s no reason for Americans to panic.

“We can’t assume that what China sees, we will see,” said Doron. “Because they’re still in that immunity debt period of having not seen anything for so long that everyone’s getting everything at the same time.”

The precautions you take during cold and flu (and norovirus) season depend on your own risk tolerance and medical history.

Some people may feel comfortable washing their hands a little more often and keeping their distance from people who are ill. Others who may be more susceptible to infections—like immunocompromised people, the very old, or the very young—may take an extra protective step and wear a mask or limit social interactions.

It’s also wise to stay as healthy as possible (eat well, exercise often, optimize sleep) throughout the winter months, just in case.

“These respiratory infections and norovirus are inevitable. Everyone’s going to come in contact with them. You can run, but you can’t hide from them,” Doron said. “The best way to protect yourself is to be really healthy when you do get a cold.”

Winter is in full swing, and along with the chilly temperatures and snowy days come a slew of viruses that seem to be making the rounds. This year, experts are warning of a ‘Quad-Demic’ – a term used to describe the simultaneous circulation of four common viruses during the winter months. So, what exactly is going around right now? Let’s break down the four winter viruses of the ‘Quad-Demic’ and how they can affect you:

1. Influenza: The flu is a common virus that typically peaks during the winter months. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, and fatigue. It’s important to get vaccinated against the flu each year to protect yourself and others from getting sick.

2. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): RSV is a common virus that affects the respiratory system, particularly in young children and older adults. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. RSV can be serious in certain populations, so it’s important to seek medical attention if you suspect you or your child has RSV.

3. Norovirus: Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes stomach-related symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. It spreads easily in close quarters, such as schools, nursing homes, and cruise ships. Proper handwashing and hygiene practices can help prevent the spread of norovirus.

4. Rhinovirus: Rhinovirus is a common cause of the common cold, with symptoms including a runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, and sneezing. While not typically serious, the common cold can be uncomfortable and disruptive. Rest, fluids, and over-the-counter medications can help alleviate symptoms.

As we navigate the ‘Quad-Demic’ this winter, it’s important to practice good hygiene, such as washing hands frequently, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when sick. If you experience severe symptoms or have underlying health conditions, it’s important to seek medical attention promptly. Stay safe and healthy this winter season!

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January 18, 2025
Sheng Thao indictment charges explained – NBC Bay Area

Friday’s indictment by federal prosecutors charges former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao with “a corrupt relationship with her partner Andre Jones, and local businessmen, defendants David Duong and Andy Duong.”

At the time of the allegations, David Duong was – and is believed to still be – the president and CEO of Cal Waste Solutions, a recycling company contracted with the City of Oakland. He’s also co-owner of a housing company. His son, Andy, also works at Cal Waste Solutions and co-owns the same housing company.

Leading up to Oakland’s 2022 mayoral election, federal prosecutors say Sheng Thao promised, if she was elected, the City of Oakland would buy housing units from the Duongs. In exchange, the indictment alleges the Duongs spent $75,000 on campaign mailers targeting her opponents.

Prosecutors say the Duongs also paid Thao’s partner Andre Jones $95,000 for a “no-show job” with their housing company, meaning no work was expected.

Once Thao was mayor, prosecutors allege she used her influence to help appoint a high-level city official selected by the Duongs.

On Friday, Oakland’s City Administrator’s Office told NBC Bay Area, “The person identified in the indictment as Employee 1, or the former Interim Deputy Director of Housing and Community Development, stopped working in that department at the end of 2023, and thereafter worked in a different department. The individual submitted their resignation notice to the City today, Friday, January 17, 2025.”

“It’s clear the federal government is taking this very seriously,” said Michelle Rippy, chair of the Criminal Justice Department at CSU East Bay. “There certainly seems to be a lot of evidence that they have been able to obtain and list out in the indictment.”

Prosecutors say the evidence was made possible by a partnership between the FBI, IRS and US Post Office.

The evidence also alleges Thao, Jones and the Duongs tried to cover up the scheme. Thao allegedly directed the Duongs to make payments to Jones to avoid a paper trail leading back to her.

“The indictment itself is chock-full of allegations,” said Thao’s attorney Jeff Tsai on Friday. “But it is not chock-full of evidence, and that’s what we’re going to prove in the course of our defense of this case.”

“The case is built on allegations from an unknown co-conspirator that we believe, when evidence is revealed, will show my client has committed no crimes,” Tsai said.

In court Friday, Thao, Jones and the Duongs pled not guilty. Jones did not provide a statement.

Attorneys representing David and Andy Duong released statements saying their clients are innocent.

“We have kept quiet despite the media frenzy over the past months in the hope that the government would correctly come to see through objective investigation that the allegations are baseless, and being fanned by nothing more than gossip and supposition stitched together by the fabrications and delusions of those who lack all fundamental credibility,” attorneys for Andy Duong wrote.

Thao, Jones and the Duongs are presumed innocent until proven otherwise; however, Rippy says the indictment alone is having an impact on public trust in Oakland and beyond.

“That is going to be a very big challenge to overcome in the future for not only Oakland but many other local governments to make sure that they can maintain what trust is left,” she said.

Sheng Thao, a prominent figure in Oakland politics, has recently been indicted on charges related to corruption and bribery. The charges against her stem from an investigation into her alleged involvement in a scheme to solicit and accept bribes in exchange for favorable treatment on city contracts.

Thao, who currently serves as a council member in Oakland, has denied any wrongdoing and has vowed to fight the charges in court. The indictment alleges that she accepted thousands of dollars in cash and gifts from a local businessman in exchange for helping him secure a lucrative city contract.

The case has sent shockwaves through the Oakland political scene, with many residents expressing disbelief at the allegations against Thao. As the investigation unfolds, more details are expected to emerge about the extent of her involvement in the alleged scheme.

Thao’s indictment serves as a reminder of the importance of holding public officials accountable for their actions and ensuring that they act in the best interests of their constituents. As the case moves forward, it will be crucial for the justice system to uncover the truth and deliver justice for any wrongdoing that may have occurred.

Stay tuned to NBC Bay Area for updates on the Sheng Thao indictment charges and the ongoing investigation into this troubling case.

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January 18, 2025
XO Kitty Season 2 Finale Explained: No Kiss, Noah Centineo, and Plenty of Family Secrets

This article contains major character or plot details.

XO, Kitty’s Kitty Song Covey (Anna Cathcart) has always been an agent of chaos. Never forget that she’s the one who mailed the letters her older sister Lara Jean had written to her crushes, sparking the events of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before film trilogy.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise that she’s managed to wreak havoc all over the Korean International School of Seoul, which she decides to attend for her junior year of high school in XO, Kitty Season 1. Despite having been kicked out after breaking one too many rules, Kitty is back in Seoul for Season 2 with a new love triangle — well, it’s more of a square or a rhombus, really — a new roommate, and new discoveries about her family heritage.

After all, the reason she wanted to follow in her late mother’s footsteps and attend KISS was to learn about her mother and her Korean family. And what are long-kept family secrets worth without a few reunions? Read on to find out more about the biggest revelations from XO, Kitty Season 2.

Noah Centineo Returns as Peter Kavinsky in XO, Kitty Season 2

Was that a Noah Centineo cameo in XO, Kitty Season 2?

While the on-screen reunion between Kitty and her pseudo-older brother Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) happens more than halfway through the season, the real-life reunion between Cathcart and Centineo actually took place on the very first day of filming Season 2.

“It was so, so fun,” Cathcart tells Tudum. Peter is the longtime boyfriend of Kitty’s middle sister, Lara Jean, so he’s been a big brother figure to Kitty since she was barely in middle school. And much like Peter to Kitty, Centineo has been a mentor of sorts to Cathcart in her own career. “It means so much to have his support. He’s just so encouraging and such an amazing role model and someone to look up to.”

Centineo happened to be in South Korea filming scenes for Season 2 of his Netflix action series The Recruit, so the timing worked out fortuitously. But, says Cathcart, “our scenes together were the very first day of shooting the entire season, so I had not been on a set in two years. I was so nervous! I was just getting back into it and that full day was with Noah — which made it more overwhelming, but also made it the best ever because I had someone to be with the whole day who I look up to so much.”

For his part, Centineo also had a blast. “Working with Anna again was amazing,” Centineo tells Tudum. “She’s so wonderfully talented, and her work ethic shows in every scene. Stepping back into the To All the Boys universe was a true joy, and I hope our incredible audience enjoys seeing Peter again as much as I did.”

Speaking of reunions, how does Janel Parrish come back to XO, Kitty?

Margot Song Covey (Parrish), the eldest of the three Covey sisters, shows up in the Season 2 finale alongside the girls’ halemoni (grandmother) — played by creator Jenny Han’s mother, by the way — in an unexpected Song family reunion.

Cathcart refers to Parrish as a “lifelong big sister,” so Parrish’s time on set in Korea was similar to Centineo’s. “I’m truly so grateful that I’ve gotten to work with her,” Cathcart says. “It was so fun getting to be back — be back as friends, and also to be back on-screen as sisters. It’s been so many years! I’m so glad she got to come to Korea and hang out. It was amazing.”

Who is Simon?

Kitty’s mission in Season 1 was to learn more about her mother’s own experience in Seoul as a teenager, but her mission in Season 2 was to learn more about the mysterious Simon — a man her mother corresponded with during her own time at KISS. “When you hear about Simon, of course the assumption is that’s a boyfriend, right? Kitty assumes that, probably the audience does,” explains showrunner Jessica O’Toole. But it turns out that Simon is actually her mother’s cousin — and the full story is much more complicated than Kitty could have imagined.

When Kitty’s halemoni left South Korea and moved to the U.S., she left her own sister behind — and didn’t speak to or of her again. Kitty, and her mother before her, didn’t even realize they had cousins still living in their family’s homeland. For that older generation, “it was easier to keep secrets and it was harder to repair relationships,” says O’Toole. “Someone could move away and you wouldn’t hear from them, be able to find them.”

Before Kitty’s mom died, she was working with her cousin Simon to reunite their mothers — something Kitty wanted to finish on her mother’s behalf, and enlisted her own big sister to do so. “We know that Kitty loves romantic love — she always has, since the movies,” Cathcart says. “But there are so many types of love, including family love, and that is just as important and just as valuable to chase after and worth exploring. This season we see more of the vulnerability in that kind of love, and that also involves being brave and being courageous and putting yourself out there and getting hurt and taking the risk anyway. All of those things that I think we often attribute to romantic love also apply to family love.”

Speaking of romantic love, why didn’t Kitty and Min Ho kiss in the XO, Kitty Season 2 finale?

O’Toole considers the feeling of longing a staple in every teen show. There’s no exception when it comes to the epic slow burn between Kitty and her enemy-turned-friend-turned-maybe lover (?!) Min Ho (Sang Heon Lee). So, while Kitty spends the season exploring her own feelings of longing for Min Ho, “longing is something that the audience also needs to do,” teases O’Toole.

That’s why, when Kitty tells Min Ho to “Wait!” before he leaves with his family for the summer, you’re desperately waiting for the pair to release their simmering tension with a kiss. After all, they did just save each other’s families. She helped him reconnect with his Simon Cowell-esque dad Young Moon (Philippe Lee) as he taught an arts course at KISS that culminated in a massive talent showcase; and Min Ho did the same by flying Margot and her halemoni to Korea on his private jet when their flight got canceled last minute. Can you say romantic? So, naturally, you’re feeling your own pangs of longing when they don’t seal it all with a kiss. But even without an “official” kiss in XO, Kitty Season 2, there are so many preludes to one that it’s simply building the anticipation.

At the Cherry Blossom Ball, when Kitty is starting to admit to herself that she’s jealous of Min Ho’s girlfriend Stella (Audrey Huynh), in walks Min Ho, dapper as ever, as Chappell Roan’s “Picture You” starts to play. With cherry blossoms exploding on the screen behind her crush, you can’t help but swoon along with Kitty (and, as O’Toole attests, everyone who edited the scene in post-production). “Those [moments] are meant to take the sting out of there not being a kiss yet,” O’Toole says. Not to mention the fact that Min Ho asks Kitty to dance, remembering how she’d sing that song in the shower off-key when they were roommates last semester. Who wouldn’t fall for a guy who remembers all those details about you? Even Peter notices that when he comes to visit. “He remembers every single word you ever said, but he still pretends to be annoyed when you talk too much. Classic,” he ribs.

So how did Kitty and Min Ho go from enemies in Season 1 to a slow burn romance in XO, Kitty Season 2?

We can’t forget that the season starts with Kitty outright rejecting Min Ho’s impulsive love confession on their flight to LA. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a guy who doesn’t really put himself out there. But, as he reminds her, Kitty can’t outright deny that she smiled when he told her. So not all hope is lost, but “we’re not ready for this quite yet,” says O’Toole.

Kitty and Min Ho shed their enemies status last season, but Season 2 was really when they started to embody the friends-to-lovers trope. Min Ho starts dating Stella, at Kitty’s behest, which takes the pressure off their own romantic intrigue a bit and allows them to genuinely become friends. “They’re having all these moments of intimacy, but they’re not romantic,” says O’Toole. “But they are.”

Take, for example, a pivotal scene in Episode 4. Stella (secretly) sabotages Min Ho’s ski cabin slumber party when she brings Kitty’s (goodbye) love letter she’d written about Yuri (Gia Kim) months prior. Yuri and Juliana (Regan Aliyah) break up after Juliana learns Kitty and Yuri kissed, and Kitty’s new sort-of girlfriend Praveena (Sasha Bhasin) calls their relationship off before it even really starts. Basically, Kitty is completely down in the dumps sitting in the hot tub when Min Ho, designer jacket and all, decides to get in to comfort his friend.

“That is an opportunity for Kitty to see that Min Ho is a really true friend and is someone who wants to show up for Kitty regardless of his feelings, regardless of his pride that she turned him down,” says Cathcart.

Later when Kitty discovers Stella isn’t who she says she is — her real name is Esther, and she came to KISS to destroy Min Ho’s dad after he embarrassed her in a singing competition years prior — it’s just in her nature to try to protect him and make sure that he’s alright. And, yes, there’s perhaps a bit of jealousy, too, which she only admits to herself later on. “It really eats [at] her, which is a very relatable thing so many people have experienced, seeing [that person] with someone else really shows you your true feelings,” says Cathcart.

So is Yuri out of the picture for Kitty at the end of XO, Kitty Season 2?

Sharing a suite with Yuri and Juliana is not exactly a dream for Kitty, who’s still harboring major feelings for Yuri at the start of the season. Juliana quickly picks up on how close the two became last semester, and her gut instincts aren’t exactly off when Yuri and Kitty steal a kiss. But Yuri quickly deems it a mistake since she’s in love with Juliana, crushing Kitty. “I know so many people are rooting for them, and I love to see that,” says Cathcart. “I do think that storyline, at least for now, she’s kind of explored that.” But the significance of what the budding of their relationship meant for Kitty changed her whole life and what she knew about her sexuality. “It’s not just about a crush — that has a lot more weight.”

Who wins the singing competition at the end of XO, Kitty Season 2?

Both Eunice (Han Bi Ryu) and Dae (Minyeong Choi) have the voices of angels, but it’s Eunice who wins the prize of opening for Min Ho’s K-pop star brother on his worldwide tour this summer. The songbirds had started dating earlier in the semester, but it fell apart after Dae underestimated her. Eunice winning the big competition instead of Dae was always the intention for O’Toole, “because it’s about his friends being there for him,” she says. “She deserves to win, and he knows that.” It’s a testament to their professionalism that they both put on stellar sets, though, since Stella tries to sabotage their performances in order to win herself. And, of course, it’s Kitty’s idea that Kitty, Q (Anthony Keyvan), his boyfriend Jin (Joshua Lee), Juliana, and Yuri fill in as Dae’s backup dancers. The cast rehearsed for weeks while they were filming other episodes. “We were like, ‘We are actually becoming a K-pop group! What is happening?’ ” says Cathcart.

Is Kitty done with her time in Korea or does she want to come back for another semester (and potentially Season 3)?

Um, how could Kitty not want to return? “Yeah, she wants to come back,” says O’Toole. “And now that she knows she has a cousin, now that she’s got this great aunt, there you go. She’s got family there.” Plus, Principal Lee (Michael K. Lee) renewed Kitty’s scholarship, so the world is her oyster.

But things aren’t looking up for everyone at KISS when the season ends. Yuri learns that Juliana has officially moved on with Praveena, despite Juliana hearting her latest Instagram story. What’s worse: Yuri’s family assets have been frozen after a development in a class action lawsuit that Dae’s dad is a part of. Meaning? She’s broke. At least she’s got her newly discovered brother Alex (Peter Thurnwald) to help her through it all.

The highly anticipated season 2 finale of XO Kitty has left fans on the edge of their seats with plenty of drama and surprises. From the absence of a kiss between the two main characters to the introduction of Noah Centineo as a mysterious new love interest, the episode was filled with twists and turns that left viewers craving more.

One of the most talked-about moments of the finale was the lack of a romantic moment between Kitty and her long-time crush, Jake. Despite their undeniable chemistry throughout the season, the writers decided to keep things platonic between the two characters, much to the disappointment of fans who were rooting for a happily ever after.

Instead, the finale introduced a new character played by heartthrob Noah Centineo, who instantly captivated Kitty with his charm and mysterious past. His arrival in the final moments of the episode left fans wondering what his intentions are and how he will affect Kitty’s already complicated love life.

But the surprises didn’t end there. The finale also revealed a slew of family secrets that rocked Kitty’s world, from long-lost siblings to hidden scandals that threaten to tear her family apart. As the season came to a close, viewers were left with more questions than answers, setting the stage for an explosive third season.

Overall, the season 2 finale of XO Kitty was a rollercoaster of emotions, with no shortage of drama, romance, and family secrets. Fans can’t wait to see what the future holds for Kitty and her loved ones in the upcoming season, and are eagerly anticipating the next chapter in their thrilling story.

Tags:

XO Kitty Season 2 Finale, XO Kitty Season 2, XO Kitty Season 2 finale explained, Noah Centineo in XO Kitty, XO Kitty family secrets, XO Kitty season finale, XO Kitty season 2 spoilers, XO Kitty no kiss finale, XO Kitty season 2 recap

#Kitty #Season #Finale #Explained #Kiss #Noah #Centineo #Plenty #Family #Secrets

January 18, 2025
Explained: Why West Indies Have Dropped Their Test Vice-Captain For A Debutant | PAK v WI

West Indies‘ playing XI for the first Test against Pakistan has seen them leave out wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva, in favour of debutant Amir Jangoo.

Both sides announced their playing XIs on the eve of the match – the hosts doing so first, naming just one specialist pacer as well as a debutant opening batter in the lineup.

In a series which is set to have no bearing on the World Test Championship final, West Indies have also handed debuts to two players – batter Tevin Imlach and wicketkeeper Amir Jangoo.

West Indies drop vice-captain Joshua da Silva

Jangoo has come into the playing XI to replace Joshua da Silva, West Indies’ incumbent gloveman and current vice-captain of the Test team. In fact, this marks the first time that da Silva will miss a Test match since he debuted at Wellington in December 2020 – a run of 33 consecutive games.

The 26-year-old da Silva had made a solid start to his Test career with four 40-plus scores in his first six innings, batting primarily at No.7 and No.8. However, his form dipped soon after, with six single-digit scores in his next 10 innings.

Also read: Pakistan pick three frontline spinners and debutant for first West Indies Test

da Silva scored 82* and 49 in consecutive Tests against England last summer, but has since scored just 92 runs in nine innings, averaging 11.5 with the bat in a lineup which is a tad unreliable at best.

A replacement for da Silva has emerged in timely fashion in the form of Amir Jangoo, who debuted for West Indies in ODIs last month and became the first player in men’s ODI history to score a century on debut from No.4 or below. Hailing from Trinidad & Tobago like da Silva, Jangoo had an excellent season in last year’s Super50 Cup, West Indies’ domestic List A competition.

His overall first-class record is not exceptional – 1909 runs at an average of 34.1 – but in the last calendar year he scored exactly 500 runs at an average of 100 on the dot. The standout knock was a double century (218) from No.5 in April which helped take T&T from 103-3 to 591-7. Coincidentally, da Silva also batted in that innings, scoring 79 from No.7.

Between his recent good form in not just one but two formats, and the promise Jangoo has shown at the international level, West Indies have little to lose and much to gain by selecting him ahead of a wicketkeeper who is currently in a slump.

Playing XIs: Pakistan v West Indies, first Test

Pakistan

Shan Masood (c), Mohammad Huraira, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Abrar Ahmed.

West Indies

Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Mikyle Louis, Keacy Carty, Kavem Hodge, Alick Athanaze, Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach, Kevin Sinclair, Gudakesh Motie, Jomel Warrican, Amir Jangoo, Jayden Seales.

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In a surprising move, the West Indies cricket team has decided to drop their Test vice-captain for an upcoming series against Pakistan in favor of a debutant. This decision has raised eyebrows among fans and experts alike, so let’s delve into why the team has made this bold move.

The West Indies management has cited a need for fresh blood and a change in leadership dynamic as the primary reasons for dropping the vice-captain. The team is looking to inject new energy into the squad and provide opportunities for promising young players to make their mark on the international stage.

Additionally, the management believes that the debutant has shown exceptional talent and potential during practice sessions and warm-up games leading up to the series. They see this as an opportunity to test the player’s abilities in a high-pressure environment and potentially groom them for a leadership role in the future.

While it may be a risky decision to replace an experienced vice-captain with a debutant, the West Indies team is looking to shake things up and take a bold step towards building a competitive squad for the future. Only time will tell if this decision pays off, but one thing is for sure – fans will be eagerly watching to see how the debutant performs in their first Test match against Pakistan.

Tags:

West Indies cricket, Test cricket, West Indies cricket team, West Indies Test team, West Indies vice-captain, West Indies debutant, West Indies cricket news, PAK v WI, West Indies player selection

#Explained #West #Indies #Dropped #Test #ViceCaptain #Debutant #PAK

January 18, 2025

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