Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to leave the royal family was not made lightly. While their announcement may have come as a surprise to many, it was “months of conversations” before everything was finalized. Prince Harry recently delivered a speech that stated, in part, explained how the couple had “no other option.” According to a new report, the “final straw” for their decision has to do with their son, Archie.
During a dinner for supporters of Sentebale in London, Prince Harry shared the reasons behind their decision to step away from their royal duties.
He explained: “I must say that I can only imagine what you may have heard, or perhaps read, over the past few weeks. So, I want you to hear the truth from me. As much as I can share, not as a prince or a duke, but as Harry, the same person that many of you have watched grow up over the past 35 years, but now with a clearer perspective.”
He shared later: “Once Meghan and I were married, we were excited, we were hopeful and we were here to serve… The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. And I know I haven’t always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option.”
Prince Harry further noted: “I hope it helps you understand what it had come to, that I would step my family back from all I have ever known to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life.”
Of course, the media scrutiny took its toll on the Sussexes, as Prince Harry shared: “You looked after me for so long, but the media is a powerful force. And my hope is one day our collective support for each other can be more powerful, because this is so much bigger than just us.”
While the couple endured constant public and media criticism, according to a report from TMZ, their need to protect their son Archie’s privacy forced them to make this drastic decision to exit the royal family.
A source told TMZ that “things really began to sour” after Archie’s birth, as their attempts to keep him out of the spotlight were met with criticism. The British press wasn’t happy with the way the Sussexes controlled the media’s access to their son, from abandoning the typical public photocall after his birth to keeping details of his christening private.
TMZ reports that “the final straw” came after Archie’s christening, with a source sharing: “They think if the British public aren’t contributing financially then they don’t have the same right to comment on their private life.”
Now that they’ve moved to Canada, according to The New York Times, the Sussexes’ lawyers sent a letter to British news outlets threatening a lawsuit after paparazzi captured personal photos of Markle walking with Archie and their dogs.
Just hours into season one of Star Trek: Picard, the eponymous and beloved Starfleet officer is told, “This is no longer your house, Jean-Luc.” While it’s true that Picard, played indelibly and with renewed soulfulness by Patrick Stewart, doesn’t have quite the same standing in the year 2399 that he did in 2385, the character and actor still look very much at home in the newest Star Trek series. In many ways, Picard is the leader we remember, a man whose compassion and intelligence preceded him, who believed that the progression of humanity could, with concerted effort, keep up with that of technology. But 20 years after the events of Nemesis, there’s been a considerable change in circumstance: he’s now a man with no crew or starship, just a long memory and a mission (and a vineyard and a great dog, but we digress).
The same sense of purpose that sends the erstwhile Enterprise captain journeying through the stars once more also extends to the wider series, and keeps Picard from being a mere exercise in nostalgia or repackaging of intellectual property. The series, Alex Kurtzman’s latest foray into this particular sci-fi universe, shares its lead character’s penchant for delving into history, but keeps its eyes trained forward, seeking out new ways to tell classic Trek stories—among them, exploring what it means to be human.
Finding a balance between old and new, between the past and the future, is as much a thematic concern as it is an offscreen imperative for Kurtzman, Stewart, and their fellow executive producers Michael Chabon, Akiva Goldsman, and Heather Kadin. No one on screen or behind the scenes believes this story can just pick up where The Next Generation (or even the big-screen adventures) left off, narratively or otherwise. The passage of time, both on the show and in real life, is seen and felt everywhere, from Picard’s strained relationship with Starfleet to the Federation’s current state of intergalactic affairs to the more somber tone of the series.
But even with such an esteemed history and noble intentions, Star Trek: Picard struggles at times to fly true in its first three episodes. Attempts to marry the sensibilities of big-screen (specifically, Kelvin timeline) Trek with those of its TV counterpart result create discord; there is a slickness to the pilot, particularly in the big action set-pieces, that doesn’t quite jibe with the more pensive nature of the small-screen franchises. But veteran TV director Hanelle M. Culpepper, who helmed the first three episodes, eventually settles into a more familiar speed, one that allows each new discovery to land before moving on to the next.
Picard is also so packed with plot and backstories, it’ll have you wishing you had the memory banks of Data (Brent Spiner), the dearly departed android whose cinematic death still haunts Picard. In just the first three hours, the series sprints through decades of history, including the tragic events of the Romulan supernova that killed billions and made refugees of millions more. The details of Picard’s rift with Starfleet are gradually revealed, and we also learn more about his retirement, his vineyard employees, and his old (but new to us) comrades, like Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd), who is one of a surprising number of people on this show who won’t readily forgive the old Francophone. Kurtzman et. al. insist that you can walk into Picard a Trek novice, which is probably true, though we should note that being versed in the history only enriches jokes about Picard’s indifference to science fiction and makes transparent the wary reactions to the mere mention of the Tal Shiar.
In addition to all that world-building, Picard season one has conspiracies within conspiracies—though we suppose that’s to be expected in any storyline with this many Romulans involved, including Narek (Harry Treadway). There are flashbacks and previously unheard-of destinations, as well as new characters with just as much to lose the iconic captain, but whose motives aren’t nearly as obvious to us. Alison Pill co-stars as Dr. Agnes Jurati, the Earth’s leading expert on synthetic life forms—the same synthetic life forms (or “synths”) that were outlawed following an attack on a Mars space station that was first glimpsed in Short Treks. As Cristobal Rios, Big Little Lies’ Santiago Cabrera gets to play buttoned-up and swashbuckling, occasionally even in the same scene. But most intriguingly, Picard introduces Dahj (Isa Briones), a brilliant young woman who, despite meeting Jean-Luc in the premiere, has deep connections to his past.
At times, it’s difficult to keep the people and machinations straight, not to mention maintain interest in them. But all of these moving parts make up the engine that drives Picard the man and Picard the series, from the real-life events that inform the isolationism and refugee crisis depicted on the show to the search for compassionate and right-minded leaders. Regret is a powerful motivator, and Jean-Luc’s list of regrets is nearly as long as his list of accomplishments, but Picard is more opening salvo than it is a requiem for a starship captain. War, or some other cataclysmic event, is brewing, and no one gets to sit it out; not even the man who once thwarted the Borg. Soon, Picard’s return makes all the more sense—the reunion of the actor and the role, of the character and the battlefront is truly, as Dahj says at one point, “like lightning seeking the ground.” It’s immediately, undeniably comforting to see Stewart playing Picard once again, even as dulcet-toned actor brings new layers of vulnerability and insecurity to the role.
But though Picard acts as a beacon for his companions and viewers at home, the series doesn’t paint him as a savior. Picard carves out a distinct place for him—which is, at times, on the bridge of a starship—while also expanding the roles of his new comrades. It’s hard to pick a favorite among the new castmates, who bring wide-eyed energy (Pill), charisma (Cabrera), pathos (Hurd), and star quality (Briones) to familiar environs. But they’re ready to chart a new course within the universe of Star Trek, just as that universe welcomes back its most inspiring hero. Together, these stories make for one of the most rousing installments in the franchise, and potentially one of the most powerful.
Reviews by Zack Handlen will run weekly beginning Thursday, January 23.
Stepping into what mustt have been the most awkward conversation held between a band and their drummer since the last time a band was forced to have a conversation with its drummer, a judge has blocked Joey Kramer’s legal efforts to force Aerosmith to let him play with them at the Grammys this weekend. Per Deadline, a Massachusetts judge ruled tonight that Aerosmith’s decision not to allow Kramer—who hasn’t performed with the group since last year, when he suffered unnamed “minor injuries”—to play when they receive an award on Sunday night does not constitute breach of contract, as he and his lawyers were asserting.
In fact, the judge essentially said what Aerosmith said in their statement yesterday: If Kramer wanted to play at the Grammys this year, he probably should have gotten all of this in place before the band was just days away from playing together on national TV. To quote: “Given that Kramer has not played with the band in 6 months and the dearth of available rehearsal time before the upcoming performances, Kramer has not shown a realistic alternative course of action sufficient to protect the band’s business interests.”
Kramer, of course, says he’s been trying, and that the band has been stopping him, up to and including forcing him to record an “audition” to return, which they then rejected for lacking “energy.”. The other members of Aerosmith, meanwhile, maintain that they would love for their bandmate of 50 years to come back into the fold—just not with zero rehearsal time ahead of a major event. They’ve also been vocal about their desire to have Kramer at the Grammys alongside them, just not performing with them on stage. (Although to be fair, they made that statement before today’s legal ruling; who knows how well the whole “suing to get back into the band thing” is going with people behind the scenes.)
Still, though, we have to say this sets a good precedent: Once suing your way into Aerosmith becomes an acceptable legal maneuver, who knows how far it’d go? Soon we’d all be hiring lawyers to score us plum spots in Boston or Steely Dan. Anarchy would reign, as lawyers then began suing themselves into the ranks of Cheap Trick or the Who. Madness in the streets! Love in an elevator! Revolution X!
Terry Jones, one of the founding members of the Monty Python comedy troupe, has died at 77.
His death after a years-long battle with dementia was confirmed by his agent, the Associated Press reports.
His family released the following statement Wednesday: “We are deeply saddened to have to announce the passing of beloved husband and father, Terry Jones. Terry passed away on the evening of 21 January 2020 at the age of 77 with his wife Anna Soderstrom by his side after a long, extremely brave but always good humored battle with a rare form of dementia, FTD.”
The statement revealed that Jones last days were spent surrounded by “his wife, children, extended family and many close friends have been constantly with Terry as he gently slipped away at his home in North London. We have all lost a kind, funny, warm, creative and truly loving man whose uncompromising individuality, relentless intellect and extraordinary humor has given pleasure to countless millions across six decades.”
Famed for his portrayals of middle-aged housewives with high-pitched voices, it was Jones who screamed, “He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy!” in the 1979 comedy “Monty Python’s Life of Brian,” which he also directed. That iconic line was twice voted the funniest in film history in UK polls, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
In a 2016 statement to Britain’s film academy, it was announced that Jones suffered from primary progressive aphasia, which erodes the ability to use language, leaving him unable to give interviews.
Jones’ loved ones said they were announcing his death out of a “hope that this disease will one day be eradicated entirely. We ask that our privacy be respected at this sensitive time and give thanks that we lived in the presence of an extraordinarily talented, playful and happy man living a truly authentic life, in his words “Lovingly frosted with glucose.’ ”
The veteran comic, actor and author is survived survived by his wife of seven years, Anna, their daughter Siri, and his children Bill and Sally from a previous marriage to Alison Telfer.
Monty Python star Terry Jones has died at the age of 77, after having lived with dementia, his agent has said.
A statement from his family said: "We have all lost a kind, funny, warm, creative and truly loving man."
Fellow Python Sir Michael Palin described Jones as "one of the funniest writer-performers of his generation".
The Welsh comic actor, writer and director died on Monday, four years after contracting a rare form of dementia known as FTD.
Palin added: "Terry was one of my closest, most valued friends. He was kind, generous, supportive and passionate about living life to the full.
"He was far more than one of the funniest writer-performers of his generation, he was the complete Renaissance comedian - writer, director, presenter, historian, brilliant children's author, and the warmest, most wonderful company you could wish to have."
Other comedy figures paid tribute on social media.
Screenwriter Charlie Brooker posted: "RIP the actual genius Terry Jones. Far too many brilliant moments to choose from. Here's one random wafer-thin mint."
David Walliams thanked his comedy hero "for a lifetime of laughter".
Jones appeared in the TV series Monty Python's Flying Circus and their films as a range of characters including "Two Sheds" Jackson, Cardinal Biggles of the Spanish Inquisition and Mr Creosote.
He directed the comedy collective's movie The Holy Grail in 1975 with fellow Python Terry Gilliam, as well as The Meaning Of Life in 1983.
His family's statement added: "Over the past few days his wife, children, extended family and many close friends have been constantly with Terry as he gently slipped away at his home in north London.
"His work with Monty Python, his books, films, television programmes, poems and other work will live on forever, a fitting legacy to a true polymath."
The family thanked Jones' "wonderful medical professionals and carers for making the past few years not only bearable but often joyful".
They said: "We hope that this disease will one day be eradicated entirely. We ask that our privacy be respected at this sensitive time and give thanks that we lived in the presence of an extraordinarily talented, playful and happy man living a truly authentic life, in his words 'Lovingly frosted with glucose.'"
Monty Python star Terry Jones has died at the age of 77, his agent has said.
A statement from his family said: "We are deeply saddened to have to announce the passing of beloved husband and father, Terry Jones.
"Terry passed away on the evening of 21 January 2020 at the age of 77 with his wife Anna Soderstrom by his side after a long, extremely brave but always good humoured battle with a rare form of dementia, FTD.
"Over the past few days his wife, children, extended family and many close friends have been constantly with Terry as he gently slipped away at his home in north London. We have all lost a kind, funny, warm, creative and truly loving man whose uncompromising individuality, relentless intellect and extraordinary humour has given pleasure to countless millions across six decades.
"His work with Monty Python, his books, films, television programmes, poems and other work will live on forever, a fitting legacy to a true polymath.
"We, his wife Anna, children Bill, Sally, Siri and extended family would like to thank Terry's wonderful medical professionals and carers for making the past few years not only bearable but often joyful.
"We hope that this disease will one day be eradicated entirely. We ask that our privacy be respected at this sensitive time and give thanks that we lived in the presence of an extraordinarily talented, playful and happy man living a truly authentic life, in his words 'Lovingly frosted with glucose.'"
